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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




EARLY SCENES 



IN 



CHURCH HISTORY, 



EIGHTH BOOK OF THE 



FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES. 



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Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of 
of Young Latter-day Saints. 






■ 151 - 



JUVKNILE INSTKUCTOE OFFICE 

Salt JLake City, 

1882. 



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Copyright applied for at the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at 
Washington, D. C, by G. C. Lambert. 



PREFACE. 



MANY deaths have occurred within the last few years 
among the veteran members of 4 our Church. Numbers 
of persoDS have recently passed away who were connected with 
the Church during the early years of its existence, and whose 
lives were filled with scenes and incidents of the most inter- 
esting nature. Their wonderful experience so far as known is 
appreciated by their intimate friends, in whose memories it is 
embalmed, but it will hereafter only be known as tradition, 
for, as a rule, they have left no written testimony or record of 
their lives to show to future generations what they have seen 
or passed through. We have scarcely ever heard of the death 
of such a person without a feeling of regret that the impor- 
tant scenes of which he was a witness while living were not 
better known, and that a definite and accurate account of them 
had not been written before his death. 

A short time since we conceived the idea of publishing a 
volume of the "Faith-Promoting Series," entitled Early 
Scenes in Church History, to be made up of such inci- 
dents of appropriate nature as we could obtain from early 
members of the Church. 

Of course we were aware that a single volume of the size 
contemplated could not describe a tithe of the interesting 
scenes of a faith-promoting nature with which the early history 
of the Church abounded, but not until we had started the 
compilation did we realize to the full extent the vastness of 
the field which we had entered upon. We gathered the inci- 
dents contained in the present volume at random (mostly from 
verbal narratives), compiled them very hastily, with too little 
regard perhaps for variety, and feel that we have hardly made 



IV. PREFACE. 

a commencement at recounting the early scenes of which a 
record should be perpetuated. 

In compiling this volume no effort has been made at select- 
ing scenes of a marvelous or sensational character ; the aim 
has rather been to mention such incidents as would tend to 
show how the power of Grod was manifested in behalf of the 
Saints in those early days, and thereby promote faith among 
the young, for whose benefit this Series is published. Nor is it 
to be supposed that such scenes as are herein described have 
been confined to any particular period of our Church's history. 
As wonderful incidents of special providence could be related 
of the present age as of that which is past. The power of 
Grod is as manifest now in shaping the destiny of His Saints, in 
preserving their lives and in answering their prayers as it ever 
has been. The faithful never had greater cause to rejoice nor 
the wicked to tremble than they have at the present time. 
That the perusal of this volume may cause those into whose 
hands it may come to be more faithful and devoted to the 
cause of God, is the earnest desire of 

The Publisher. 



CONTENTS. 



"SHOW US A SIGN." 

My Sister's Hip Broken — No Hopes of Ever Being Able to 
Walk — Our Family Embrace the Grospel — Scoffers Demand 
as a Sign that my Sister be Healed — Elder Brackinbury's 
Death — Warned by the Spirit of the Body-Snatchers' 
Designs — Caught in the Act of Robbing the Grave — My 
Brother's Death— My Sister Healed— The Healing Fails 
to Convince the Unbelievers. Page 9. 

CONTEST WITH EVIL SPIRITS. 

The Savior's Promise — Sent on a Mission When a Boy — Con- 
ference in Burke's Garden — A Girl Apparently Stricken 
With Death — My Fright at Being Asked to Administer to 
Her — Prompted by the Spirit to Cast the Devil Out of Her 
— The Evil Spirit Leaves Her and Enters Two Others- - 
Six Elders Contend With the Evil Spirit for Thirty-Six 
Hours— Its Final Banishment. Page 12. 

EARLY EXPERIENCE OF A. O. SMOOT. 

CHAPTER I. 

Sickly Condition when Young — Healed According to Elder 
Patten's Prediction— Labor as a Missionary with Elder 
Woodruff— Severe Sickness— Healed Under the Adminis- 
tration of my Brethren— A Mission to the Southern 
States— Removal to Far West— Mission to Missouri and 
Arkansas— Opposed by a Baptist Deacon— Terrible Judg- 
ment upon Himself and Family— John Houston, the Infi- 
del—Far West Besieged— Taken Prisoner. Page 17. 



CONTENTS, 



CHAPTER II. 

Married while a Prisoner of War— Property Confiscated— 
Removal to Quincy— First Hard Work — Removal to Mon- 
trose — Mission to Tennessee — Shot at — Camp, my Cham- 
pion—A Lawyer and his Mob— Appeal to Masons for 
Help— Ready Response — Camp's Vengeance on the Law- 
yer—News of Martyrdom— Return to Nauvoo— Brigham 
Young Inspired— Another Mission South— Blessings in 
the Temple— Journey to Salt Lake Valley. Page 21. 

CHAPTER III. 

Almost Lost in the Atlantic — Narrowly Escape the Saluda 
Disaster— Nearly Dead with the Cholera — Healed in 
Answer to Prayer— Blown up with a Keg of Powder— A Sick 
Woman Healed — Elder Patten's Remarkable Prediction 
Fulfilled — A Man Almost Dead Recovers on Being Bap- 
tized. Page 26. 

SCENES IN THE BRITISH MISSION. 
CHAPTER I. 

Elder Halliday Applied to for Help by a Sister whose Son is 
Dying— Not Able to go, he Gives the Lady his Handker- 
chief and Promises her the Child Shall Live — The Child 
Revives from Apparent Death by the Woman's Faith and 
Prayer — Preaching in Penzance — Discouragement and 
Want — Strange Conduct of a Lady Attending the Meet- 
ing — Invitation to go to St. Just — Grift of Tongues and 
Interpretation Given to Elder Halliday, Through which 
he Receives a Revelation — Revelation Literally Fulfilled. 

Page 31. 

CHAPTER II. 

Elder Elias Morris Falls with a Scaffold a Distance of Thirty 
Feet Without Being Hurt — Grift of Healing Possessed by 
Elder Abel Evans — A Woman Healed who had Her Face 
Eaten Away by a Cancer — Storm at Sea Rebuked — A 
Broken Leg Cured— A Broken Skull Mended — Fever on 
Shipboard Stopped by the Prayer of Faith. Page 36. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER III. 

Elder John Parry's Statement — His Brother's Testimony and 
Death— His Sister's Reproof and Death — Embrace the 
Gospel — His Sleep Troubled — A Remedy and Lesson — 
Orson Spencer Healed— Providential Help — Escape from 
a Mob — Cancer in a Man's Face Cured by Laying on of 
Hands— Preserved from Mobs. Page 42. 

CHAPTER IV. 

John T. Evans' Statement — A Sick and Helpless Woman 
Healed on Being Baptized — Relapse and Death after Apos- 
tasy — Saints Required to Renounce their Religion or Lose 
their Situations — Cholera Epidemic — Healed According 
to Faith — Private Discussion with a Malignant Preacher, 
who Takes the Cholera and Begs the Elders to Cure Him — 
Healed and then Baptized — Curious Manner in which 
Food and Lodging were Provided. Page 49. 

CHAPTER V. 

Judgment Upon Opposers — Two Men Killed by their Horses 
— Horrible Death of Another — Eight Preachers go Down 
After Opposing Elder Evans— A Man Saved from Bleed- 
ing to Death by the Prayer of Faith — A Sister Healed — 
Woman Cured of a Bloody Issue on Being Baptized — 
Escape the Fury of a Mob by the Spirit's Warning — A 
Warning Through the Grift of Tongues. Page 57. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Thomas D. Giles' Experience — His Head Crushed and Split 
Open by a Ton of Coal Falling Upon It — Healed by the 
Power of God — A Deaf and Dumb Man Receives His 
Hearing and Speech on Being Baptized, etc. Page 62. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Scene in the Experience of Wm. J. Smith — A Strange 
Prophecy and Its Wonderful Fulfillment. Page 68. 



Vlll. CONTENTS. 



REMARKABLE HEALINGS. 

Martin H. Peck's Testimony of a Number of Remarkable 
Cases of Healing — A Broken Arm, a Crushed Leg, etc., 
Healed Immediately. Page 70. 

PHILO DIBBLE'S NARRATIVE. 

CHAPTR I. 

His Early Life — Conversion — Curious Signs — Joseph Removes 
to Kirtland — Wonderful Manifestations — A Miraculous 
Case of Healing — Sidney Rigdon in Darkness— Joseph 
Predicts that the Evil One will Handle Him, and the Pre- 
diction is Fulfilled. Page 74. 

CHAPTER II. 

Removal to Missouri — The Saints' Guns Purchased for Mobo- 
crats by a Sectarian Preacher— Attack of the Mob on the 
Whitmer Settlement — The Writer Shot — Subsequent 
Exposure and Suffering — Critical Condition — Healed 
Miraculously — How Zion's Camp was preserved on Fish- 
ing River — A Vision. Page 81. 

CHAPTER III. 

Militia Organized at Far West — Liberty Pole Struck by Light- 
ning — General Atchison Defends the Prophet in a Law- 
suit — Atchison Removed from Office for being Friendly 
to the Saints — Far West Besieged — Leaders of the Saints 
Betrayed for a Price — Escape to Quincy. Page 87. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Rent a Farm — Sickness — Providential Recovery — Inspired to 
Preach — Removal to Nauvoo — Death of my Wife — 
Second Marriage — Premonition of Death — Warning 
from the Prophet — A Dream and its Fulfillment — A 
Prophecy and its Fulfillment — Evil Spirits Cast out of a 
Man — Joseph Smith's Trust in the Lord. Page 91. 



SHOW US A SIGN." 



BY B. F. JOHNSON 



MY SISTER S HIP BROKEN— NO HOPES OP EVER BEING ABLE 
TO WALK — OUR FAMILY EMBRACE THE GOSPEL — SCOF- 
FERS DEMAND AS A SIGN THAT MY SISTER BE HEALED— 
ELDER BRACKINBURY'S DEATH— WARNED BY THE SPIRIT 
OF THE BODY-SNATCHERS' DESIGNS — CAUGHT IN THE 
ACT OF ROBBING THE GRAVE— MY BROTHER'S DEATH — 
MY SISTER HEALED — THE HEALING FAILS TO CONVINCE 
THE UNBELIEVERS. 

ABOUT the year ] 830, when I was twelve years of age, 
Nancy, my eldest sister, was thrown from a horse, and 
h ad her hip broken. 

The bone was broken so near the socket that it could not be 
set, and physicians all agreed that it would be impossible for her 
ever again to walk upon that leg, or in any degree to recover its 
use, as ossification had taken place without a connection of the 
bones and they had slipped past each other, making the broken 
limb nearly an inch shorter than the other. She walked upon 
two crutches, and for years was not able to bring upon the 
broken limb weight sufficient to hurt the finger of a small child* 
if placed under her foot. 

In the year 1831, my brothers Joel H. and David received the 
gospel in Amherst, Ohio, and in the fall of the same year my 
brother David brought to us the Book of Mormon, near Fre- 
donia, State of New York. 

Soon afterwards my brother Joel, with A. W. Babbitt- 
then only a boy, came also, and was followed by Elders Brack 



10 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

inbury and Durfee. Elder Brackinbury was an earnest and 
powerful preacher, and all the Elders seemed filled with the 
spirit of the Lord. Many received their testimony, and my 
mother and Lyman B. Shearman, a brother-in-law, were the 
first to be baptized. 

Priest and people came out to oppose the work, and would 
scoifingly ask, "Why, if miracles can be performed, do you 
not heal Sister Nancy?" Many would also say: "If they 
would only heal Sister Nancy we would all believe !" 

My sister was a young woman of excellent mind and char, 
acter. Having a good common education, she had for some 
years taught our district summer school, and, being religiously 
inclined, had joined the Freewill Baptist church. Like my 
mother, who was also a religious woman, she was not only 
respected, but was beloved by all who knew her. But, although 
she had obeyed the gospel, the time had not come for her 
release from her crutches by the healing power of God. The 
wicked were seeking it for a sign, as in the days of our Savior, 
when they followed Him even to His crucifixion, demanding 
that He come down from the cross, as a sign, to prove to them 
that He was the Son of God; yet no sign was given except that 
of their overthrow and destruction. 

After a few weeks of successful preaching and baptizing j 
Elder Brackinbury was taken violently sick, and, within a few 
days, died of the bilious cholic. 

To us, then young and inexperienced members of the 
Church, his death came as a trial to our faith, as well as a very 
great grief. To think that so good a man, in such a field of 
useful labor, and far away from his home and family, should 
be permitted to die, and that too so suddenly, was naturally a 
test to the faith and integrity of so young a branch. 

Although the grave had closed over his body and we were in 
deep sorrow, our enemies were not satisfied, for while we were 
assembled in the evening after his burial, to talk and pray and 
mourn together, the spirit of revelation said to my brother 
David that they were then digging up the body of Brother 
Brackinbury for dissection. 

My brothers with others quickly started, and proceeding 
rapidly to the grave about one mile away, found three men 



MY BROTHER'S DEATH. H 

there who had unearthed the coffin and were just dragging the 
corpse from under its lid. As our party approached they 
sprang out of the grave and fled. 

David, then a stripling of about twenty years, pursued them, 
and like a young lion, grappled with, captured and brought 
back as a prisoner one of the most powerful young men of the 
country— not only much older but nearly double his size—a 
student of medicine in our native town. 

The prisoner was afterwards committed by a magistrate, 
and put under bonds to appear at his trial. 

These, with other unhappy events, caused us to desire to 
leave our native place and gather with the Saints at Kirtland, 
which we did in the spring of 1833. In the summer of that 
same year it was proposed to build the Kirtland Temple, and 
as it was designed at first to build it of brick, my three eldest 
brothers, with those of us who were younger, engaged in making 
the brick for that purpose; and there brother David, who was 
then about twenty-two years of age, became a martyr to the 
great and good cause. Through his ambition to perform more 
labor than he was able to endure, and by over-exertion in pro- 
curing the wood, he bled at the lungs and died the same fall 
He bore a faithful testimony of the gospel being again revealed, 
and spoke with the gift of tongues with his latest breath, 
which was interpreted by Don Carlos Smith, the Prophet's 
brother, who was present at the time. 

About this time the Spirit of the Lord seemed to be poured 
out upon the Saints in Kirtland. There families often met 
together to "speak of the Lord," and the gifts of the gospel 
were enjoyed in rich abundance. As yet my sister Nancy had 
never, since her hip had been broken, taken one step unaided 
by her crutches; but the time had now come for her release 
She was commanded by Elder Jared Carter-then a man of 
mighty faith— to arise, leave her crutches and walk 

She arose in faith, full of joy, and was from that hour made 
whole, and never again did she walk upon crutches or lean 
upon a staff. 

The same fall I returned on a visit to mv native town, full 
ot a desire that our old neighbors, as well as my young asso- 
ciates, should embrace the truth; for I felt sure that they 



12 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

would believe my testimony that my sister was healed, and, as 
they had promised, accept the gospel. 

I was fall of hope, although I was but a boy, that they 
would all he converted through my testimony ; but alas ! there 
were none to be converted — no one to accept the great truths 
of the gospel. They believed my statement that my sister had 
become well and was walking unaided upon her broken limb, 
yet, to their understanding, "some natural cause had produced 
the effect," and they were unbelievers still. 

When again, as a missionary, I returned to the place of my 
birth and preached to those same persons the gospel, bearing 
a faithful testimony, they were glad to see me, and treated me 
with great kindness, yet no one was converted to the truth, for 
signs had failed to make them believe. 



CONTEST WITH EVIL SPIRITS. 



BY H. Q. B. 



THE SAVIORS PROMISE— SENT ON AMISSION WHEN A BOY— 
CONFERENCE IN BURKE'S GARDEN — A GIRL APPARENTLY 
STRICKEN WITH DEATH — MY FRIGHT AT BEING ASKED 
TO ADMINISTER TO HER— PROMPTED BY THE SPIRIT TO 
CAST THE DEVIL OUT OF HER— THE EVIL SPIRIT LEAVES 
HER AND ENTERS TWO OTHERS— SIX ELDERS CONTEND 
WITH THE EVIL SPIRIT FOR THIRTY-SIX HOURS — ITS 
FINAL BANISHMENT. 

JUST a few minutes before our Savior took His leave of the 
twelve apostles and ascended on high, He promised that 
certain gifts and blessings should be enjoyed by the believer. 
You will find this promise recorded in the 16th chapter of 



A GIRL APPARENTLY STRICKEN WITH DEATH. 13 

the gospel according to St. Mark, 17th and 18th verses. It is 
of one of these gifts that I wish to speak. 

When on my first mission (in the year 1844), in the State 
of Virginia, we were attending a conference in Burke's G-arden, 
Tazewell County. There were some ten or twelve Elders in 
attendance, most of whom had just arrived a week or two 
previous from Nauvoo, where they had, during the April 
Conference, been called and set apart for missions in Virginia. 
It was Sunday evening, some time early in May. Our con- 
ference had just closed, the last services of which were the 
ordinances of baptism and confirmation administered to 
several persons. 

The Saints and strangers had dispersed to their homes, 
except some of the Saints who lived at a distance. A few of 
these had put up with Colonel Peter Litz, who, with his 
family, were members of the Church, and where also several 
of the Elders, myself included, were going to stay over 
night. 

The time in the evening was what would be called early 
twilight. Some of the Elders had taken an evening stroll. 
At any rate, I was the only Elder that was about the house, 
when Sister Litz came to me (I was seated at the time out in 
the yard) very much excited, and said that one of the sisters 
who had come to stay over night, was taken suddenly and 
very severely sick, and she (Sister Litz) desired me to 
administer to her. 

I was only a boy, yet in my teens, and with little or no 
experience, and had never been called upon, up to that time, 
to administer to the sick. I naturally shrank from the task, 
and would have given anything to have had some one to take 
it off my shoulders. 

However, there was no escape for me — no other Elders 
were present, and she insisted that I should attend to the 
ordinance. 

I followed Sister Litz into the house, and there lay the girl, 
stretched upon a bed, apparently lifeless, without breath or 
motion. 

I asked Sister Litz what was the matter with the girl, but 
she could not tell. 



14 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

"What can I do?" I thought. What could any one do? 
Nevertheless, I placed my hands upon her head, knowing full 
well if the Lord did not help me, that I would utterly fail in 
being able to say the first appropriate word, or exercise the 
least power. 

As soon as I opened my mouth, I began to cast a devil 
out of her, which was farthest from my thoughts before I 
commenced. I commanded it, in the name of Jesus Christ, to 
come out of her, and not to return again. The evil spirit 
immediately departed from her, she being restored to her 
normal condition, seemingly as well as ever. 

Not ten minutes after, the same evil spirit entered another 
girl. But during this interval Elder Robert Hamilton had 
returned from a walk, and was present at the time of the 
. second attack, and was mouth with myself in casting it out. 

In about the same time it would take a person to walk from 
one room to another, a third young sister was attacked, and 
in the same way exactly that the two first had been taken ; 
and our administration had the same effect in relieving her as 
in the first two cases. 

This third one was no sooner rid of the evil spirit, than it 
returned and took possession the second time of the one last 
before relieved of its power ; and when it was cast out from 
this one, it took possession of the third one again, and so on, 
alternately, as well as I can remember, for three or four times. 
But the spirit never returned the second time to the first 
sister that was attacked that evening. 

However, at the end of three or four hours, we separated 
the two girls, by taking one of them up stairs and into a room 
at the west end of the house, leaving the other in a room on 
the first floor at the east end, making the distance between as 
far as we could for both to occupy the same house, which was 
a large one. 

In the meantime, one of the Elders from the house of one 
of the nearest neighbors had come in, so there were six of us 
in attendance, the names of whom were as follows: Robert 
Hamilton, James Park, Richard Kinnamon, Chapman Duncan, 
Alfred B. Lambson and myself. 

A. B. Lambson, James Park and Richard Kinnamon, with 



SIX ELDERS CONTEND WITH THE EVIL SPIRIT. 15 

the father of the two girls (for they were sisters), watchod 
with the one in the room on the first floor, while Robert 
Hamilton, Chapman Duncan and myself, with the mother, 
watched with the other in the upper room. 

While possessed with this evil spirit, the girls would some- 
times lay in a trance, motionless, and apparently without 
breathing, till we were ready to conclude they were dead, then 
they would come to and speak and sing in tongues, and talk 
about Priesthood and the endowments. At other times, they 
would choke up, ceasing to breathe until they were black in 
the face, and we thought they would surely die. Sometimes 
they would froth at the mouth and act like they were in a fit. 
If standing upon their feet when taken, they would fall to 
the floor and act like they were struggling for life with some 
unseen power. Altogether, these cases reminded us of the 
one recorded in Mark, 8th chapter, 14th to 29th yerse, and 
other cases recorded in the New Testament. 

We never made a failure when attempting to cast out this 
evil spirit from either of the girls. But invariably as soon as 
one of them was dispossessed, in the length of time it would 
take a person to walk from one room to the other, the spirit 
would take possession of the other, but never both at the 
same time, and both were operated upon alike, so we knew 
there was but one evil spirit to deal with; yet it seemed 
impossible to get rid of it, for the girls were possessed with 
it alternately for some thirty-six hours. 

However, we took advantage of the Savior's explanation in 
the 9th chapter of Mark, before referred to, and fasted and 
prayed. After which, while the three of us up stairs were 
administering (Robert Hamilton being mouth) and command- 
ing the devil (for such we were from the first convinced it 
was) to come out of her and return to its own place, Elder 
Duncan immediately interrupted, and said to Elder Hamilton, 
"Name the place; name the place!" (See Matthew, 8th 
chapter and 31st verse.) 

This somewhat confused Elder Hamilton, who hesitated, 
when Elder Duncan called the name of a family who were 
near neighbors, and of whom not one us had thought in 
connection with these cases. Elder Hamilton repeated this 



16 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

name, and immediately the evil spirit departed, not only from 
the girl it then had possession of, but from the house. And 
in a moment all in the house felt and knew that they were 
rid of its power and influence and that it would not again 
return. 

We all, by this time, knew something of the power of the 
adversary, for we had had an actual experience, indeed, a con- 
test, that had left us weak and nearly worn out, to an extent that 
an actual corporal struggle with flesh and blood would not 
have so reduced us. 

Why was the key to its departure given to Elder Duncan 
and not to Elder Hamilton, who was acting as mouthpiece at 
the time? is a question my young readers are ready to ask, as 
we asked one another at the time, and were not able to answer, 
and which I am unable to answer to this day. 

And why was it necessary to give this demon the privilege 
to return to torment some other family? 

This also I am unable to answer to my own satisfaction ; 
but this much I can say: the family referred to was bitterly 
opposed to the gospel and its blessings, and to all those who 
taught, practiced, or enjoyed the same. A daughter of this 
family had been afflicted in a very singular way from her 
childhood. This girl had, in company with her parents and 
all the family (as they never left her alone), attended our bap- 
tismal meeting on Sunday evening, and her family spoke 
of her being and acting like a new person for two days after 
attending that meeting, often speaking of the good effect the 
witnessing of the ordinance of baptism had had upon her. 

To all I have said in the foregoing, I was an eye and ear 
witness. All those who are living, who were present at the 
time this occurred, will remember the truth of what I have 
inscribed, though at the time we kept it from the world. I 
have written this experience for the benefit of the young 
Elders who are now abroad on missions, and for the benefit of 
the boys who may hereafter be called on to take missions, and 
any others who may glean any good from its perusal ; and 
also as an evidence of the truth of the promise of Jesus to 
believers. 



MY CHILDHOOD. 



17 



EARLY EXPERIENCE OF 
A. 0. SMOOT. 



CHAPTER I. 

SICKLY CONDITION WHEN YOUNG— HEALED ACCORDING TO 
ELDER PATTEN'S PREDICTION— LABOR AS A MISSIONARY 
WITH ELDER WOODRUFF— SEVERE SICKNESS— HEALED 
UNDER THE ADMINISTRATION OF MY BRETHREN— A MIS- 
SION TO THE SOUTHERN STATES— REMOVAL TO FAR 
WEST— MISSION TO MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS— OPPOSED 
BY A BAPTIST DEACON— TERRIBLE JUDGMENT UPON HIM- 
SELF AND FAMILY— JOHN HOUSTON, THE INFIDEL— FAR 
WEST BESIEGED— TAKEN PRISONER. 

MY life has been an exceedingly active, busy one, but 
when my experience is compared with that of many of 
my brethren there is perhaps nothing very extraordinary about 
it. I have seen the power of God manifested in various ways, 
and have had all the testimonies that I could ask for of the 
divine character of the work instituted through Joseph Smith, 
with which I have been connected for almost half a century. 
But I have never seen anything that I could call very miracu- 
lous, nor have I sought for anything of the kind as an evi- 
dence of the truth of God's work. To me everything has 
seemed to come along naturally. And yet when all things are 
considered, my whole life might be regarded as miraculous. 
When I reflect upon the precarious condition of my health 
when a boy, and the indulgence with which I was then treated, 
and then upon what I have been enabled to endure and accom- 
plish, through the blessings of God since, there is something 
rather remarkable about it to me. 

I was born on the 17th of February, 1815, in Owenton, 
Owen Co., Kentucky. Both the town and County in which 



18 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

I was born were named after my great-uncle, Abraham Owen, 
in whose honor I was named. He was killed in the battle of 
Tippecanoe, while serving under G-eneral Harrison, who was 
afterwards President of the United States. Abraham Owen's 
sister, my great-aunt, was Stonewall Jackson's mother, so that 
General Jackson and I were second-cousins. 

From my early childhood, almost from my infancy, I was 
afflicted with a lung disease, and supposed to be in consumption. 
Indeed, I was so bad a great deal of the time that my life was 
despaired of. When I was about nine years old my death 
seemed so imminent that my burial clothes were made. How- 
ever, I rallied somewhat, but not to be able to do any work. 
I had a great desire to live, and also to know if the Lord had 
a church upon the earth, and I investigated the various 
doctrines professed by those with whom I came in contact, but 
could never feel satisfied to join any of the religious sects. 

When I attained my twentieth year, and while I was still 
very sickly, Elders David W. Patten and Warren Parrish 
visited the part where I resided, as missionaries, and I became 
convinced of the correctness of the doctrines which they taught 
and embraced the same, being baptized by Elder Parrish and 
confirmed by Elder Patten. Brother Patten, in confirming 
me, promised that I should be healed of my infirmity and 
become a strong and powerful man. This prediction was veri- 
fied to the letter ; I began to grow strong immediately. 

The following spring I was ordained a deacon and placed to 
preside over a small branch of the Church raised up by Elders 
Patten and Parrish, and on the 7th of the next April I was 
ordained an Elder under the hands of Brother Woodruff and 
started out with him preaching. I traveled with him in Ken- 
tucky and Tennessee until the early part of the following win- 
ter, when we left the South and went to Kirtland, Ohio, where 
I attended school with him and studied Greek and Latin. 

The change of climate and a little carelessness on my part 
brought on an attack of typhoid fever and pleurisy, from which 
I suffered severely, and it was thought that I could not 
recover. Brother Woodruff, however, who was waiting upon 
me, called in Elders Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, 
Willard Richards, and Hyrum Smith, and the five laid their 



A MISSION TO THE SOUTHERN STATES. 19 

hands upon me and rebuked the disease and blessed me. 
While their hands were upon my head I fell into 
an easy sleep, and when I awoke my disease was entirely 
gone. 

A few days after, I was advised by the Prophet Joseph to 
return to the Southern States and raise up a company of 
Saints and emigrate to Far West, Missouri. I accordingly 
went South, and in the month of May had succeeded in organ- 
izing a company of two hundred souls with about forty teams 
and started on our jonrney. The trip occupied about two 
months. We immediately set about making homes and soon 
began to get comfortable surroundings. 

In January, 1838, I was called to fill a mission to the 
southern part of Missouri and throughout Arkansas. During 
this mission an incident occurred which I think worth relating. 
I was preaching one afternoon in the court-house at Yellsville, 
where I had also held meeting in the forenoon, when in the 
midst of my discourse I was interrupted by a Baptist deacon, 
who arose and exclaimed : "That young man is not quoting the 
scripture correctly. 

I was speaking at the time upon the authenticity of the Book 
of Mormon. I was also enjoying an unusi*al flow of the 
Holy Spirit, and felt more calm and collected at this inter- 
ruption than I otherwise would have done. I deliberately 
opened the Bible and read therefrom the very passages which 
I had previously quoted verbatim, and cited the chapter and 
verse. 

At this the Baptist took his seat, but I had not pro- 
ceeded much farther with my remarks when I again had occa- 
sion to quote from the scriptures, and lest I again should be 
found fault with, I opened the Bible and read from it, when the 
deacon, a second time arose and declared that it was not from 
King James' translation of the Bible that I was quoting, but 
"Joe Smith's golden Bible," etc. 

Several of the audience immediately ordered him to be still 
and let the young man proceed, as they wanted to hear the 
preaching. 

Again he became quiet, but soon broke forth in a perfect rage, 
said 1 was lying, and denounced, in a rather incoherent manner, 



20 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

4 'Joe Smith" and his "golden bible," and the "Mormons" as 
"chicken thieves" and "hog stealers," etc. 

A number of persons immediately surrounded him as if they 
intended to thrust him out, and lest they should use violence 
I began to plead for him, and requested them to allow him to 
retire quietly. I added, however, that I was there on my 
Father's business, commissioned to proclaim the gospel, and if 
he did not speedily repent the Lord would rebuke him and the 
judgment of God would overtake him. At this he turned and 
rushed from the room almost foaming with rage. 

He had four drunken sons in the town and he proceeded to 
hunt them up to incite them to mob me. Just then a fire 
broke out in the Baptist meeting house, and on hearing the 
alarm I adjourned the meeting for one hour. 

In the audience was a Major John Houston, a brother of the 
celebrated Sam Houston, who was in command of a military post 
near by. He had boarded a few days at the same place that I 
had, and had therefore become somewhat acquainted with me. 

He followed the deacon and advised him against molesting 
me, telling him if he persisted in it he would have to take him in 
charge. The deacon concluded to desist but raged, and cursed 
' 'Joe Smith' ' and the ' 'golden bible' ' and the young preacher, and 
everything connected with him as he proceeded home, and on 
entering his house, almost immediately fell dead and turned 
black. 

In this condition he lay for two days, no one, not even 
his own sons, daring to go near him until, a Campbellite 
preacher, who also had happened to be one of my audience, and 
who had heard of his condition, came to me and informed me 
of it. I went with him to Major Houston, and through his 
influence some persons were employed to go and bury the 
dead man. 

Within a week from the time of the deacon's death his wife 
also died, and his sons kept up their drunken spree until they 
had run through four thousand dollars of the money which 
their father had left and also other property. 

Many of the people of the town regarded this series of calami- 
ties as the judgment of Grod, and even the Campbellite preacher 
admitted to me that it had very much the appearance of it. 



TAKEN PRISONER. 21 

Soon after these events transpired I returned to a place 
about twenty miles distant, to fill a previous appointment, and 
while there Major Houston was taken sick with the cholera. 
He felt that he was going to die, and, wan ted to have me sent 
for. I had conversed with him many times upon the subject 
of religion, and, though he professed to be an infidel, I could 
see that he was pricked in his heart but was too proud to 
acknowledge it. Shortly before he died he made a request that 
I should preach his funeral sermon, and on my return to 
Yellsville I did so, and I think I never had more of the Spirit 
of G-od in preaching in my life than I did on that occasion, 
infidel though he pretended to be. 

I returned from this mission in the summer of 1 838, and 
soon afterwards the troubles of the Saints with the Missouri 
mobocrats recommenced, in which I became earnestly engaged. 
After Far West had been besieged by the mob militia under 
General Clark and we had been compelled to surrender our 
arms, I was taken prisoner in company with many of my 
brethren. 



CHAPTER II. 

MARRIED WHILE A PRISONER OF WAR— PROPERTY CONFIS- 
CATED—REMOVAL TO QUINCY — FIRST HARD WORK — 
REMOVAL TO MONTROSE— MISSION TO TENNESSEE — SHOT 
AT— CAMP, MY CHAMPION — A LAWYER AND HIS MOB — 
APPEAL TO MASONS FOR HELP — READY RESPONSE — 
CAMP'S VENGEANCE ON THE LAWYER — NEWS OF MARTYR- 
DOM— RETURN TO NAUVOO— BRIGHAM YOUNG INSPIRED 
— ANOTHER MISSION SOUTH — BLESSINGS IN THE TEMPLE 
— JOURNEY TO SALT LAKE VALLEY. 

ON the 11th of November, while still a prisoner of war, I 
was married, which might be considered as a proof that I 
had not lost hope. I was fortunate in securing a wife who was 
zealous and devoted to her religion and ready to sacrifice or 
endure anything to further its interests. 



22 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

After the troops were withdrawn from Far West I visited 
my farm two miles south of the town, to look after my stock 
which I had left there, and found that all my earthly posses- 
sions save my real estate had been confiscated by the army. 

On visiting the late camp-ground of the army I found the 
heads of eleven of my oxen which had been butchered, and 
there was no trace left of my sheep, swine, etc. 

Brother John Butler, who had been obliged to flee to the 
north to save his life, had left his family in my charge. He 
had a span of very poor horses and an old wagon. I loaded 
the wagon up with his wife and five children and what few 
goods I had left, which consisted of one trunk full of clothes 
besides what my wife and I wore. I managed to find one of 
my horses which the mob had taken and used in such a shock- 
ing manner that his back was skinned almost from his withers 
to his tail. This animal I hitched on ahead of Brother But- 
ler's horses, and by those of us walking who were able to do so, 
we slowly made our way to Quincy, Illinois, in the depth of win- 
ter. On arriving there I went to work carrying the hod up a 
four-story building — really the first hard work I had ever done, 
to make another start in life, while my wife assisted by taking 
in sewing. 

In the month of July I removed to Montrose, opposite Com- 
merce. In May of the following year I went on a mission to 
Tennessee, from which I returned the following October, and 
again the next year, I went to Charleston, South Carolina, 
being instructed to introduce the gospel there. I spent all the 
money I had in renting halls and publishing placards announc- 
ing my meetings, but although I had large audiences, and 
numbers of persons came to me, Nicodemus-like — by night, 
to inquire about the gospel, I failed to make one convert. I 
returned to Nauvoo from this mission in 1842. 

In the summer of 1843, I took a trip through southern Illi- 
nois and north-western Kentucky, in the interest of the Nau- 
voo House, and in May, 1844, I again went south to Tennessee 
to electioneer for Joseph Smith as candidate for the Presidency 
of the United States. On arriving at Dresden, Tenn. , I rented 
the court-house to hold meeting in, and while in the act of 
preaching to a good-sized audience, a mob gathered outside 



A LAWYER AND HIS MOB. 23 

and a shot was fired at me through the window. The bullet 
passed near my head and lodged in the ceiling, and immediately 
afterwards a few brickbats were also thrown through the win- 
dow. Considerable excitement followed and the audience besan 
to scatter, when a man by the name of Camp, somewhat noted 
as a fighting character, arose and called on the fleeing people 
to stop. He told them if they would only sit and listen to the 
preaching, he would go out and look after the persons who 
were creating the disturbance. About two-thirds of the 
audience again became seated and he went outside and pro- 
cured a shot-gun, with which he patroled around the court- 
house the remainder of the evening, and there was no further 
trouble. 

Another meeting was announced for the following day, 
but before it commenced a lawyer of the town laid his plans to 
break it up. I had not long been speaking when he, at the 
head of a mob of two hundred men, marched into the room 
and demanded that I should cease speaking, as they had come 
to attend to my case. 

In this emergency, and for the only time in my life in public, 
I made use of a masonic sign calling for help, when lo ! a num- 
ber of persons sprang up to assist me. The lawyer was com- 
manded to give his reasons for interfering with me, which he 
proceeded to do by delivering a most abusive and slanderous 
speech. I finally commanded him to sit down and he did so 
very suddenly, and the masons who were present, who were 
very numerous and influential, gave him to understand that he 
would not be allowed to molest me. I continued my remarks, 
and at the close of the meeting Mr. Camp took vengeance on 
the lawyer by knocking him down and kicking him around the 
court-house yard. 

From Dresden I proceeded to Paris, in the same State, where 
I contracted for the publication of 1,000 copies of Joseph 
Smith's 'Towers and Policy of the Government of the United 
States. ' ' After the printing had been done and paid for, the 
printer informed me that if I attempted to circulate the pam- 
phlets it would be likely to land me in the penitentiary, as the 
views expressed therein, in regard to freeing the slaves, would 
be considered treasonable and contrary to law. On consulting 



24 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

a lawyer of the place, a boyhood friend of mine, I found that 
he held the same opinion, and I therefore suppressed the whole 
edition. 

I was at Father Church's, on Duck river, in Hickman Co., 
Tenn., when I received the news of the martyrdom of Joseph 
and Hyrum Smith, six days after the consummation of that 
bloody deed. I immediately proceeded down Duck river to 
the Tennessee river, by canoe, and, on arriving there, in com- 
pany with three other Elders, purchased a skiff, and made my 
way to Paducah on the Ohio river, from which place I took 
steamer to Nauvoo. 

On arriving in Nauvoo I found that Sidney Rigdon was 
striving to establish his claim to the leadership of the Church, 
and proffering various unheard-of offices to such persons as 
would rally around his standard. However, on the arriyal of 
President Young and the other Apostles from their missions, 
his claims were soon set aside. 

I was present at the meeting held in Nauvoo on the occasion 
when President Young assumed the leadership of the Church, 
and can testify with hundreds of others that he spoke by the 
power of God on that occasion and that he had the very voice 
and appearance of Joseph Smith. 

The following autumn I was sent by President Young to 
Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi to 
raise means for the building of the Temple and also to induce 
the Saints scattered through that region to migrate to Nauvoo 
and make preparations to journey westward. I returned to 
Nauvoo in the summer of 1845, bringing a large number of 
the Saints with me. I also left many others partially prepared 
to follow, who were subsequently gathered up by Elders John 
Brown and Wm. Crosby and led westward, by way of 
Arkansas, to Salt Lake Valley. 

After my return to Nauvoo I labored on the Temple until it 
was so far completed as to admit of the ordinances being per- 
formed in it, when I had the blessed privilege of entering it 
and receiving my endowments and having wives sealed to me. 
I also at that time had the son of my first wife (who, I should 
have mentioned, was a widow when I married her) adopted to 



BLESSINGS IN THE TEMPLE. 25 

ue by the Priesthood, and he has ever since borne my name 
nd been recognized and treated as one of my own sons. 

I labored about three months in the temple in administering 
he ordinances of the house of God to others, and in April, 
846, I left Nauvoo and started westward with quite a large 
ompany of my southern friends. On arriving at Winter 
barters I was ordained a Bishop and appointed to preside 
ver a Ward, and spent the winter in building cabins to shelter 
le people and in looking after the wants of the poor. In the 
3ring of 1847 I was appointed to organize and lead westward 
company of Saints having one hundred and twenty wagons, 
chose as my assistants Major Russell and Geo. B. Wallace. 
7e arrived in Salt Lake Valley on the 24th day of September. 
Thus passed the first twelve years of my connection with 
Le Church— twelve years of rough but not unprofitable expe- 
snce for me, considering the many lessons I learned and 
Le satisfaction I enjoyed in contemplating my labors. During 
at period I had become strong and healthy, and through the 
essings of God, had been enabled, with the help of my wife 
d boy, to earn a subsistence and accumulate some property, 
twithstanding the many missions I had filled and the losses 

property I had sustained. 

Since that time I never have performed a regular preaching 
ission abroad, although in 1851, I was sent to England, for 
at purpose ; but on arriving there it was decided to have me 
turn to lead the first company emigrated by the Perpetual 
nigration Fund across the plains, and after a stay of thirty 
ys in that country I did so. I filled various business mis- 
•ns, however, in which I crossed the plains thirteen times 
th ox and mule teams. 



26 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 



CHAPTER III. 

ALMOST LOST IN THE ATLANTIC — NARROWLY ESCAPE THE 
"SALUDA" DISASTER — NEARLY DEAD WITH THE CHOL- 
ERA — HEALED IN ANSWER TO PRAYER — BLOWN UP WITH 
A KEG OF POWDER— A SICK WOMAN HEALED— ELDER 
PATTEN'S REMARKABLE PREDICTION FULFILLED — A MAN 
ALMOST DEAD RECOVERS ON BEING BAPTIZED. 

"TOURING- my experience I have seen the power of God mani- 
U fested upon various occasions in preserving my life; indeed, 
considering the many narrow escapes I have had, it might be 
almost thought that I have had a charmed life. 

On my return from England in 1853, on board the ne^ 
steamer Pacific, we encountered a severe storm, in which the 
deck was swept clear of rigging, the deck cabin, one of the 
wheels, both wheel houses and the bulwarks. The steamer 
was entirely submerged in the sea at one time, and had she not 
been very well built she would never have come to the surface 
again. It looked like a precarious time, but I felt an assurance 
that the vessel would be saved, and in the midst of all the 
excitement which prevailed among the crew and passengers I 
felt quite calm. I had seventeen thousand dollars in gold in 
my possession, and I did not even fear that I would lose that. 
Our preservation, however, was certainly providential, for the 
vessel was in a terribly dilapidated condition, but we finally 
arrived safely in New York with the wrecked vessel, after a 
voyage of sixteen days. 

I subsequently had a very narrow escape on the occasion of 
the Saluda disaster. I had purchased the supplies for my 
company to make its overland journey with, except cattle, at 
St. Louis, and had decided to go farther up the river to buy 
the stock, when Eli B . Kelsey came to me to consult me in 
regard to chartering the Saluda to convey an independent 
company of Saints up the river. I went with him to examine 
the boat, and on finding that it was an old hulk of a freight 
boat, fitted up with a single engine, I strongly advised him 



NARROWLY ESCAPE THE "SALUDA" DISASTER. 27 

against having anything to do with it. He seemed to be 
influenced in making choice of it entirely by the fact that he 
could get it cheaper than a better one; but in my opinion 
it seemed folly, for in addition to the danger of acci- 
dent, the length of time likely to be occupied in making 
the journey would more than counterbalance what might be 
saved in the charge for transit. However, he decided to 
charter it, and then both he and the captain urged me strongly 
to take passage with them, offering to carry me free of cost if 
I would only go, but I could not feel satisfied to do so. I fol- 
lowed a few days afterwards on the Isabella, and overtook 
them at Lexington, where the Saluda was stopped by the 
float-ice and was unable to proceed farther. I went on board of 
her to visit the Saints (who were in charge of D. J. Ross, Eli 
B. Kelsey having gone ashore to purchase cattle), and' left 
just before the last plank was drawn in, preparatory to attempt- 
ing to start. I had not walked to exceed two hundred yards 
after leaving the Saluda before the explosion occurred, and on 
turning to look in the direction of the the ill-fated boat I saw 
the bodies of many of the unfortunate passengers and 
various parts of the boat flying in the air in every direction 
fortunately for the Saints on board, they were mostly on the 
deck of the boat and pretty well towards the stern, and they 
consequently fared better than those who were below, or on the 
forepart of the boat, which was blown entirely to pieces As 
it was, however, upwards of twenty of the Saints were lost or 
subsequently died of their wounds. My own preservation I 
can only attribute to the providence of the Almighty, for if I 
had remained a moment on the wharf to see the boat start, as 
would have been very natural for a person to do, I would have 
been blown into eternity as those were who stood there. 
_ I shall never forget the kindness of the citizens of Lexington 
m caring for the living and burying the dead. The Lord cer- 
tainly inspired them to do all that sympathy and benevolence 
could suggest in aid of the afflicted. The city council set 
apart a piece of ground in which to bury the Saints who had 
died, and William H. Russell, the great government freighter, 
and many other prominent citizens did all they could to corn- 
tort and help the afflicted survivors. Besides their devoted 



28 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

attention, their contributions in aid of the Saints amounted to 
thousands of dollars. 

The disaster described is really the only accident of any con- 
sequence by water that has befallen a company of Latter-day 
Saints in emigrating from the old countries, and there was 
much reason to believe that Providence was in their favor to a 
great extent even in that case, or a much greater number would 
certainly have lost their lives. 

I remained at Lexington about eight days looking after the 
interests of the Saints and purchasing stock, after which I 
returned to St. Louis, where I met the company of Saints I 
was to conduct across the plains. On reaching Atchison, our 
starting point for the overland journey, the company was 
stricken with the cholera. There were over forty cases, and of 
these some fifteen proved fatal. Numbers were healed instan- 
taneously through the prayer of faith when the Elders laid 
their hands upon them, although apparently near death's 
door ; others gave way entirely to fear, failed to exercise faith 
and soon died. After we had started upon our journey and 
when the last person who had been afflicted had recovered, I was 
prostrated with the same dread disease. The train was stopped 
and the whole company fasted and prayed for two days 
for my recovery, but I continued growing worse until my 
limbs and the lower portion of my body were appar- 
ently dead, but then the faith of the Saints and the power of 
the Almighty prevailed in my behalf and I recovered. I had, 
however, lost seventy-five pounds in weight within a few 
days. , 

Another remarkable instance in which the providence of the 
the Almighty was manifest in my preservation occurred in the 
following May. I was emptying a small keg of powder and 
standing in a stooping position right over it, and as it did not 
run out very freely I shook the keg, when it exploded. The 
staves and pieces of hoops were scattered in every direction, 
some pieces being afterwards found at least eight rods distant. 
I was blown into the air and my face and hands most terribly 
burned. It was a marvel that the staves of the keg were not 
driven through my body, but it did not appear that a single 
one had struck me. The whole of the skin came from my 



A SICK WOMAN HEALED. 29 

face and hands, yet, wonderful to relate, there is not now a 
mark of powder about my face, and my eyesight, the loss of 
which I was most fearful of, was not at all impaired by it. 

This series of narrow escapes which I have related I passed 
through within a little over a year ; and it really seemed to me 
that Satan was bent upon my destruction. The fact that my 
life was preserved through them was an evidence to me of the 
power of Gi-od and that He had a purpose in allowing me to 
live. 

I have witnessed the power of G-od displayed in the healing 
of persons who were sick in hundreds of instances, in some 
cases that would probably be considered by the world as very 
wonderful, but to which the Saints, whose experience has been 
similar to my own, had become accustomed. I think Elder 
David W. Patten possessed the gift of healing to a greater 
degree than any man I ever associated with. I remember on 
one occasion when I was laboring with him as a missionary in 
Tennessee, he was sent for to administer to a woman who had 
been sick for five years and bed-ridden for one year and not able 
to help herself. Brother Patten stepped to her bedside and 
asked her if she believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. She 
replied that she did. He then took her by the hand and said, 
"In the name of Jesus Christ, arise!" 

She immediately sat up in bed, when he placed his hands 
upon her head and rebuked her disease, pronounced blessings 
upon her head and promised that she should bear children. 
She had been married for seven years and had never had any 
children, and this promise seemed very unlikely ever to be ful- 
filled. But she arose from her bed immediately, walked half 
a mile to be baptized and back again in her wet clothes. She 
was healed from that time, and within one year became a 
mother, and afterwards bore several children. 

I was myself healed under his administration in a manner 
which appeared to me very remarkable at that time. While 
traveling I was taken very sick and was forced to seek enter- 
tainment at the house of an infidel. Elder Patten was desir- 
ous of administering to me and, by way of a pretext, asked 
the privilege of praying. His request was granted and he 
knelt beside the bed upon which I was lying, and, without the 



30 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

family noticing it, placed his hand upon my head. While his 
hand was upon me, I felt the disease pass off from my system 
as palpably as I ever experienced anything in my life, and 
before he arose from his knees I was as well as I ever had 
been, and able to arise and eat my supper. 

I remember a rather remarkable instance of healing that 
occurred at Winter Quarters, which I think worth relating: 

During the winter of 1846-7 while the Saints were encamped 
on the banks of the Missouri there was a great deal of sickness 
among them, and many died. Among others who were afflicted 
was a man by the name of Collins, who had followed up the 
Church for some time on account of his wife being a member, 
but who never felt quite satisfied to embrace the gospel, 
although he never opposed the work. When he was taken 
sick it was not thought by his friends that he could recover, as 
he had appeared to be sinking rapidly under the effects of the 
disease, and for some time he lay in a semi-unconscious state, 
from which, it was feared he would never rally. 

However, he finally regained consciousness and looked 
around, when I asked him if he had any message to leave 
before he died. He immediately replied that it would not do 
for him to die then, as he had not been baptized, and urged 
very strongly to be taken right down to the river to receive 
this ordinance. 

Yielding to his solicitations, some of the brethren brought 
the running gear of a wagon with a few boards on it, up to the 
door of the cabin in which he was living, and his bed, with him 
lying upon it, was carried out and placed on the wagon. When 
we had proceeded part way down to the river the wagon tire 
commenced running off one of the wheels and a halt was made 
to hammer it on again. On noticing the wagon stop and hear- 
ing the hammering, he inquired what was the matter, and 
when he was informed that the tire was running off, he replied 
impatiently, "Oh, never mind the tire; goon, or I'll die and 
go to hell yet before I'm baptized!" 

We proceeded on with him till we reached the river, which 
at that time was frozen over, but the ice had been cut away 
near the shore in order that our animals might drink. There 
he was lifted from his bed, carried into the water and I baptized 



RECOVERY OP A DYING MAN. 31 

him for the remission of his sins and his restoration to health. 
After being taken out of the water a blanket was wrapped 
around him and he was seated for a moment to rest upon a 
block of ice upon the shore. Seeing the brethren turning the 
wagon around, he inquired what they were going to do. They 
replied that they were going to put him on the bed and haul 
him bacjs home, when he arose to his feet and assured them 
that they need not go to that trouble, for he could walk back, 
and he did so, and from that time became a healthy man. 



SCENES IN THE BRITISH 
MISSION. 



CHAPTER I. 

ELDER HALLIDAY APPLIED TO FOR HELP BY A SISTER WHOSE 
SON IS DYING — NOT ABLE TO GO, HE GAVE THE LADY 
HIS HANDKERCHIEF AND PROMISES HER THE CHILD 
SHALL LIVE — THE CHILD REVIVES FROM APPARENT 
DEATH BY THE WOMAN'S FAITH AND PRAYER— PREACH- 
ING IN PENZANCE — DISCOURAGEMENT AND WANT — 
STRANGE CONDUCT OF A LADY ATTENDING THE MEET- 
ING — INVITATION TO GO TO ST. JUST — GIFT OF TONGUES 
AND INTERPRETATION GIVEN TO ELDER HALLIDAY, 
THROUGH WHICH HE RECEIVES A REVELATION— REVE- 
LATION LITERALLY FULFILLED. 

THE various gifts of the gospel were perhaps enjoyed to as 
great an extent by the Elders who labored in England in an 
early day as they have been by any people and in any place, at 
least in this dispensation. Nor were the manifestations of 
these gifts confined to the Elders who were engaged in the 
ministry, for their converts also enjoyed them to a very great 
extent. Many of them through their extraordinary faith and 
humility called forth the blessings and power of God in various 



32 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

ways. The gift of healing was very manifest, and scores of 
instances might be related wherein persons were healed in a 
most miraculous manner. 

Bishop G-eorge Halliday, of Santaquin, who labored exten- 
sively as a missionary in his native country in an early day, 
relates an incident of this kind. Upon a warm Sunday even- 
ing, after he had been preaching to an audience in ..Bristol, 
he was accosted by a Mrs. Ware, a sister in the Church, who 
told him she had a son extremely sick and thought to be dying. 
She begged him to go home with her and administer to it. 
She lived three miles distant, on Durham Down. It was quite 
late in the evening and he was so extremely tired that he 
scarcely felt able to comply with her request ; and yet he did 
not like to decline. All at once he felt impressed to say: 
"Here, Sister Ware, you take my handkerchief and go home to 
your child and lay it on him wherever he seems to be affected, 
praying to the Lord to heal him. If you do this I will promise 
you that he will recover. ' ' 

With full faith the good lady took the handkerchief and 
departed. On reaching her home she was met at the door by 
her daughters and friends, who informed her that her son was 
dead. 

"No," said she, "I cannot believe it! Brother Halliday has 
promised me that he shall live, and I have his handkerchief to 
lay upon him. ' ' 

She hastened to the boy and did as she had been directed to, 
and the child, which a few minutes before had been inanimate, 
began to show signs of life. The next morning he was able to 
come down to breakfast, and soon regained his wonted health. 
He afterwards emigrated to Utah. 

Brother Halliday also relates another instance in which the 
power of G-od was displayed in a rather remarkable manner, 
near the same time : 

He and Elder John Chislett were sent to Penzance, Corn- 
wall, to introduce the gospel to the inhabitants. They met 
with no encouragement, yet they did not feel justified in leav 
ing the place until they had given the people a thorough warn- 
ing. Their funds were so low that the two of them were forced 
to live on a penny's worth of bread and a penny's worth of 



STRANGE CONDUCT OF A LADY IN MEETING. 33 

soup per day ; yet their faith was strong, and they spent much 
of their time in prayer. Finally, as a last resort, in the effort to 
awaken an interest in the message they had to bear to the peo- 
ple, they decided to give a course of public lectures. Elder 
Halliday pawned his watch to raise the necessary money to rent 
a hall and publish some placards announcing their meetings, 
and on the first evening appointed they were gratified at seeing 
a few come to hear them. Among the audience they noticed 
particularly a well-dressed gentleman and lady, the latter of 
whom commenced weeping almost as soon as she entered the 
hall and continued to do so as long as the meeting lasted. The 
Elders, of course, could assign no reason for this peculiar con- 
duct while the meeting was in progress, nor were they any 
more enlightened when, at the close of the services, the lady 
came forward with her husband and invited them to visit her 
at her home at St. Just, about six miles distant. This was the 
first invitation they had received from anyone in the place, and 
they accepted it joyfully, and would willingly have gone home 
with her that night, but, to their disappointment, she named 
the following Wednesday as the time when she would be pleased 
to receive them. Nothing further passed between them, but 
it was evident that a favorable impression had been made upon 
her, and that she was a woman of intelligence and refinement. 
While anticipating the pleasure of visiting her and waiting for 
the day to arrive, the Elders continued to subsist upon their 
scanty fare, and spent their time in vainly endeavoring to pros- 
elyte among the citizens of Penzance. 

Wednesday morning came and with it a drenching rain storm, 
through which the Elders tramped the whole six miles, hungry 
and penniless. Shortly before arriving at St. Just, and while 
they were crossing a plowed field, with the mud clinging to 
their boots so they could scarcely walk, the Lord deigned to 
comfort them by giving Elder Halliday the gift of tongues and 
the interpretation of the same, in which it was made known to 
him that the lady whom they were going to visit had been 
favored with a vision in which she had seen himself and Elder 
Chislett; also that she was the owner- of several houses, 
one of which she was going to allow them to use to hold meet- 
ings in, and that he was going to baptize her that very night. 
2 



34 EARLY SCENES IN CHtjROtf HISTORY. 

As soon as this had passed through his mind, for he had not 
spoken aloud, but to himself, he joyfully slapped his companion 
on the shoulder and exclaimed, "Cheer up, John! I have had 
a revelation ! " He then proceeded to relate all that had been 
revealed to him. 

When they arrived at the house they were drenched as badly 
as if they had been in a river. Even their boots were full of 
water, so that when they pulled them off and turned the tops 
downward it ran out of them in a stream. Their friend, how- 
ever, had been anxiously looking for them, and had prepared a 
blazing fire to warm them and spread the table with tempting 
food. She also proposed for them to change their clothes as 
far as she could supply them with dry ones to put on from her 
husband's wardrobe. "But," said she, "I can hardly wait for 
you to change your clothes, I am so anxious to talk to you. 

"Oh, you need not be in such a hurry," remarked Elder 
Halliday, 'for I know what you are going to say! 

She looked at him in surprise and inquired how he knew. 

"Why," he said, "I have had it revealed to me on the way 
here." He then related to her every particular as it had been 
made known to him, until he got to that part relating to her 
baptism, when she interrupted him by exclaiming in surprise 
to her husband: 

"There, now, is that not just as it occurred? How could he 
have learned that? for you know I have not talked with any- 
one but you about it ! " She then admitted that the week pre- 
vious, while lying awake in bed, she saw a bright light in the 
room and awoke her husband and pointed it out to him. He 
also saw it, and it passed around the room in the direction of 
Penzance, to which place it led her in her mind, and there she 
saw two men trying to raise a standard, in which labor the peo- 
ple who looked on seemed unwilling to lend a helping hand. 
She reproached them for their lack of interest, and took hold 
herself to assist. This vision was so plain that she afterwards 
related the whole of it to her husband and even described the 
appearance of the men. Then she could not rest until she had, 
in company with her husband, visited Penzance and attended 
the lecture she there saw announced. As soon as she entered 
the hall and saw the two Elders she recognized them and could 



REVELATION FULFILLED. 35 

not refrain from crying. As to the other part of what had 
been revealed to him, she said it was true that she was the 
owner of a row of houses, which she pointed out to the Elders, 
and that the last one was a school-house in which her husband 
taught school, and which they were welcome to use as a meet- 
ing house as long as they wanted to free of charge. 

"But," said Elder Halliday, "that is not all that the Lord 
revealed to me. He told me that I was going to baptize you 
before I went to bed to-night, and now I want your husband to 
go and find some water for that purpose. ' ' 

Brother Halliday, in telling what had been revealed to him, 
felt a good deal as he imagined the prophet Jonah must have 
felt when the Lord commanded him to go to Nineveh and 
declare the destruction of that city. He had before him the 
fear of being declared a false prophet, and it required a great 
deal of faith in him to tell it, especially that part relating to 
her baptism. However, he was soon relieved on that score 
for the good lady expressed her readiness and anxiety to go 
immediately and be baptized. But her husband declared there 
was not a stream or pond in that region deep enough to baptize 
a person in, and it would be no use for them to think of doing 
such a thing that day. ' 'Is there not a ditch or hollow any- 
where around here that is deep enough?" said Elder Halliday, 
' 'Please go and see. ' ' 

The husband complied with a dubious look on his face, while 
the Elders proceeded to change and dry their clothes, and soon 
he returned and reported that the heavy shower which had 
fallen had so filled all the ditches and low places that they 
would have no difficulty in finding water deep enough. 

Within two hours from the arrival of the Elders the lady 
was baptized and confirmed, she being the first one to embrace 
the.gospel in the region known as "Land's End." 

The Elders ever found a home at her house and enjoyed the 
privilege of holding meetings in her school-house for years, 
and she remained faithful, but her husband, although he was 
kind to the Elders and willing to entertain them, never joined 
the Church. He was an infidel and an astrologer. 



36 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 



CHAPTER II. 

ELDER ELIAS MORRIS FALLS WITH A SCAFFOLD A DISTANCE 
OF THIRTY FEET WITHOUT BEING HURT — GIFT OF HEAL- 
ING POSSESSED BY ELDER ABEL EVANS — A WOMAN 
HEALED WHO HAD HER FACE EATEN AWAY BY A CANCER 
— STORM AT SEA REBUKED — A BROKEN LEG CURED— 
A BROKEN SKULL MENDED— FEVER ON SHIPBOARD 
STOPPED BY THE PRAYER OF FAITH. 

ELDER Elias Morris, now a resident of Salt Lake City, 
labored extensively as a local and traveling Elder in the 
Welch mission in an early day. In illustration of the manner 
in which the Lord's power was often manifested in preserving 
the lives of His servants, he relates an instance from his expe- 
rience : 

While acting as a local Elder in his native place, laboring at 
his trade during the week and preaching in the surrounding 
villages on Sundays, he once had occasion to speak of the signs 
which the Savior had promised should follow believers : ' 'In 
my name they shall cast out devils ; they shall speak with new 
tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any 
deadly, thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on 
the sick, and they shall recover." He argued that the enjoy- 
ment of those promised blessings was not limited to the 
believers who lived when the Savior was upon the earth, but 
that the faithful Latter-day Saints also shared the same. The 
sectarian preachers of the neighborhood who listened to or 
heard of Elder Morris' remarks on that occasion ridiculed 
them, and one especially, a Methodist deacon, had a great 
deal to say about them. In repeating those remarks and com- 
menting on them to others, he also exaggerated what had been 
said, even asserting falsely that Elder Morris had claimed that 
if he were to fall from the top of a quarry it would not hurt 



A FALL OF THIRTY FEET WITHOUT INJURY. 37 

him. Elder Morris heard of this deacon's exaggerated stories 
and flippant comments, but did not deign to notice them, 
although he was well acquainted with the man, in fact he was 
at that very time in his employ. 

A few days afterwards Elder Morris happened to be engaged 
upon a three-story building, pointing the front, and for that 
purpose was sitting on a hanging scaffold near the top of the 
wall. All at once he felt the scaffold giving way, the planks 
upon which it rested, and which projected from the inside of 
the building, having become loosened. He called immediately 
to a fellow- workman engaged inside the building to come to his 
relief, but before the man reached the window to grasp the 
plank, the scaffold fell and Brother Morris with it. With a 
silent prayer to Grod for help, and fully realizing his danger, he 
dropped the distance of thirty feet or more, alighting on his 
thigh on the stone pavement. In an instant he was upon his 
feet, and placing his hand on a window sill, he sprang lightly 
into the lower room of the building and escaped the falling 
planks, which did not reach the ground until after he had, 
and came forth the next minute unharmed. He did not even 
feel the slightest pain from the fall. 

It happened that the Methodist deacon, one of the owners 
of the building, and Elder Morris' father were in the street in 
front of the building at the time of the accident, and the 
latter was almost paralyzed with fear at the sight of his boy 
falling down, and no less surprised and overjoyed at seeing 
him walk forth the next moment unscathed. The deacon, 
too, seemed very much astonished and hardly able to believe 
the evidence of his own sight when he saw the man whose 
religious pretentions he had ridiculed so much pass through 
such an ordeal and appear unhurt. Elder Morris noticed his 
surprised look as he approached him, and thought it a fitting 
opportunity to tax him with the slander and ridicule which he 
had been indulging in at his expense." He accordingly did so, 
and then asked ironically, hinting at the story which the 
deacon had circulated about him, "Isn't that almost equal to 
falling off a quarry?" The deacon acknowledged that it was, 
and declared that some supernatural power must have saved 
him in that instance at least. 



38 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

Many anecdotes are related of Elder Abel Evans, formerly 
of Lehi, in this Territory, who died while on a mission in 
Wales some years since. He was a man of wonderful faith, 
and possessed the gift of healing in a remarkable degree. 
While laboring as a missionary in Wales in an early day he met a 
sister who was a member of the Church and was afflicted with a 
terrible cancer in her face which had eaten away her upper lip 
and the greater portion of her nose. She had tried all the 
doctors she could find who pretended to cure cancers and they 
had one after another given her case up as hopeless. When 
Brother Evans met her she was mourning over her affliction 
and recounting her suffering and the efforts she had made to 
get relief. He listened to her story and then asked: "Why 
do you not apply to the Great Physician to cure you?" 

"Do you think it would be of any use?" she asked, brighten- 
ing up. 

"Why," he replied "with the Lord all things are possible! 
If you have faith you can be healed!" 

She expressed her anxiety to be administered to, and he 
forthwith purchased a bottle of olive oil, consecrated it and 
anointed her face, applying the oil with a feather to the worst 
part. He also rebuked the disease and prayed for her recovery, 
and from that hour the cancer was killed and her face began 
to heal. He repeated the operation two or three times, and, 
strange as it may appear, the flesh and skin actually grew 
again upon that part of her face which had been eaten away 
and a new nose in time developed — not a perfect one it is true, 
but one that was a great improvement upon none at all. Not- 
withstanding this great manifestation of (rod's goodness to her, 
however, this woman afterwards apostatized. 

On one occaison Brother Evans was sailing from Liverpool 
to Bangor, at which place he had an appointment to preach, 
when a terrible storm arose, which threatened the destruction 
of the vessel. When the officers and crew were all ready to 
give up hope, Elder Evans retired to a secluded part of the 
vessel, called upon the Lord in prayer, reminding Him of the 
appointment to be filled and that he was upon His business, 
and, in mighty faith, rebuked the storm, when it calmed so 
suddenly that all hands on board were as much surprised as 



MIRACLES BY PRAYER OF FAITH, 39 

delighted, and quite at a loss to account for the sudden change 
in their prospects. 

In the year 1846, a man living in Merthyr Tydvil, who was 
a member of the Church, happened accidentally to break his 
leg between the knee and ankle. A surgeon was called in, 
who set the broken bones, bound the limb up with bandages 
and splints and cautioned the patient to keep perfectly quiet 
until the fracture could have time to knit. Three days after- 
wards Elders Abel Evans and Thomas D. Griles called to see 
him, and the former questioned him as to his faith. "Do you 
believe," said he, "that the Lord has power to heal your 
broken limb?" 
The man acknowledged that he did. 

' 'Do you believe, ' ' he again asked, ' 'that we, as the servants 
of Grod, holding the Priesthood, have authority to call upon 
the Almighty and claim a blessing for you at His hands?" 
The man assured him that he did. 

"Then," said he, "If you wish it we will take the bandages 
off your broken leg and anoint it. " 

The man consented, the bandages and splints were removed 
and his leg was anointed with consecrated oil. The brethren 
then placed their hands upon his head, and Elder Evans 
rebuked the power of the evil one, commanded the bones to 
come together and knit, and, finally, that the man should arise 
from his bed and walk. He got out of bed immediately and 
walked about the house, and from that time had no occasion to 
use a baudage on the injured limb or even walk with a stick. 

While crossing the sea in 1850, emigrating to Utah, a num- 
ber of remarkable cases of healing occurred under his adminis- 
tration. One was that of a young girl who was terribly 
afflicted with evil spirits, and who was entirely relieved when 
he placed his hands upon her head. Another was that of a 
little boy who fell through the hatchway of the vessel, alight- 
ing upon his head on the ring and bolt of the lower hatchway. 
When he was picked up it was found that the force of the fall 
had driven the iron upon which he struck into his head, and 
within a minute afterwards the injured place puffed up like a 
distended bladder. Of course, he was knocked insensible and 
apparently lifeless, but Brother Evans and one or two other 



40 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

Elders immediately administered to hire, and while their hands 
were upon his head the swelling entirely disappeared and he 
was restored to consciousness and to health. This was witnessed 
and marveled at by a number of persons who were not in the 
Church as well as a great many of the Saints who were on board. 
When Elder Evans was crossing the Atlantic in charge of a 
company of Saints emigrating to Utah, a terrible epidemic in 
the nature of a fever broke out on the ship, and threatened 
the destruction of all on board. He felt that their only hope 
lay in securing the favor of the Almighty, and determined to 
muster all the faith he could in appealing to the Lord. He 
called together four Elders of experience who were on board, 
and asked them to retire with him to the hold of the vessel 
and unite in prayer. They did so again and again without any 
apparent good result, and Brother Evans marveled at the 
cause. It was such an unusual thing for him to fail to have 
his prayers answered, that he was surprised that it should be 
so in that instance, and he could only account for it by lack of 
union or worthiness on the part of the Elders. He therefore 
called the four Elders again to retire with him to the hold of 
the ship, and took with him a basin of clean water. When 
they had reached a secluded place where they were not likely 
to be overheard or disturbed by others, he talked to the Elders 
about the necessity of their being united in faith and clear of 
sin before Grod if they desired to call upon Him and receive a 
blessing. "Now," he said, "I want each of you Elders, who 
feels that his conscience is clear before God, who has com- 
mitted no sin to debar him from the enjoyment of the Holy 
Spirit, and who has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ sufficient to 
call upon the Almighty in His name and claim the desired 
blessing, to wash his hands in that basin!" Three of the 
Elders stepped forward and did so ; the fourth could not — his 
conscience smote him. He was therefore asked kindly to 
retire, and the four others joined in earnest prayer before the 
Lord and rebuked the disease by which the people were afflicted. 
The result was that the epidemic ceased its ravages and the 
sick recovered from that very hour, much to the surprise of 
the ship's officers and others on board who knew nothing of 
the power by which such a happy result was accomplished. 



NUMEROUS PERSONS HEALED. 41 

In the winter of 1850, Elder Abel Evans lived at Council 
Bluffs, on the eastern bank of the Missouri river. A great 
many of the Saints were there at the time working for an out- 
fit for their overland journey or awaiting the return of fine 
weather before starting across the plains. That locality was 
somewhat noted for its insalubriety, but during that winter an 
unusually large amount of sickness prevailed. Some of the 
more prominent Elders were kept quite busy going about from 
house to house administering to the sick among the Saints, 
and scores, perhaps hundreds of cases of healing occurred under 
their hands, many of which were quite remarkable. Sister 
Ashton, now of Salt Lake City, relates how she was healed 
there when near death's door, and under circumstances the 
memory of which even now causes her to shed tears. She 
had been sick for a considerable length of time and so bad for 
two weeks that she had not been able to take a mouthful of 
food, when she heard of the death of her father. 

In her weak condition this intelligence was a heavy blow to 
her. Her mother had died previously and been buried with- 
out her having the privilege of being with her during her 
sickness or even seeing her face when dead, and the thought 
of being deprived of this privilege in the case of her father 
also, almost overcame her. She had during her sickness felt a 
strong desire to live, and now in addition to that she was 
anxious to see her dead father before he was buried, and attend 
his funeral. Some of the Elders came and administered to 
her, but they were not men in whom she had a great deal of 
faith, and she failed to receive any benefit from their admin- 
istration. After awhile, however, Brother Evans called to 
see her, and, on learning of her desire to attend her father's 
funeral, he promised her without any hesitation that she would 
do so. Placing his hands upon her head, he rebuked the sick- 
ness with which she was prostrated and pronounced the bles- 
sing of health upon her. She arose immediately from her 
bed, and rode six miles that same day, and saw her father 
buried. 



42 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 



CHAPTER III. 

ELDER JOHN PARRY'S STATEMENT— HIS BROTHER'S TESTI- 
MONY AND DEATH — HIS SISTER' S REPROOF AND DEATH 
— EMBRACE THE GOSPEL— HIS SLEEP TROUBLED— A 
REMEDY AND A LESSON — ORSON SPENCER HEALED — 
PROVIDENTIAL HELP— ESCAPE FROM A MOB— CANCER 
IN A MAN'S FACE CURED BY LAYING ON OF HANDS- 
PRESERVED FROM MOBS. 

ELDER JOHN PARRY, who was master-mason on the 
Logan Temple up to the time of his death, which occurred 
in July last, left a manuscript journal in which a number of 
very interesting incidents are recorded. 

His brother, Bernard Parry, died on the 12th of November, 
1841, while a member of the Campbellite church, and without 
having heard of the gospel as revealed through Joseph 
Smith. While upon his death bed, however, his mind was 
illumined by the Spirit of God and he had the gift of 
prophecy. He said that the Lord had shown him many great 
and marvelous things which were to come to pass in this 
age, but that he would not live to see them, for he was 
about to die. "But," said he, addressing his father, "the 
Lord is going to do a great work and a wonder upon the earth, 
and you shall be called to take part in it, father; and you 
shall yet preach the everlasting gospel to thousands in Wales. ' ' 

Then turning to his brother John, he said, "And you also, 
John, shall be called to it, and shall preach the gospel to tens 
of thousands, and shall baptize many, and my body shall not 
altogether rot before the Savior will stand upon the earth. ' ' 

The night before he died, he inquired of his brother John if 
he would be willing to do just as he requested him. John 
replied that he would, when he asked him to remove the 
things, one by one, that stood upon a table near by, into another 



his sister's reproof. 43 

room. His brother complied without saying a word, and was 
then requested to return them and arrange them as they were 
before upon the table. This John also did without asking a 
question, whereupon Bernard said, ' 'Well done ; now I wish 
you to remember that that is the way to serve the Lord ! 
whatever He commands you to do, do it without asking 
questions/' 

After impressing this lesson upon his brother's mind, he 
lay back upon his pillow and never spoke again. 

Elder Parry never heard the gospel preached until five years 
after his brother's death, but the prediction in regard to his 
preaching and baptizing was literally fulfilled. 

A sister of his also had peculiar impressions before her 
death, which occurred about five years later. She had, while 
living in Cheltenham some time previously, met some Latter- 
day Saints, and become somewhat acquainted with the doctrines 
which they preached. On returning to the parental home 
she frequently referred to these doctrines, and urged her 
relatives to investigate them, but her father and her brother 
John, who were zealous Campbellites, were prejudiced against 
the ''Mormons" by the false reports which they had heard 
about them and opposed her and persuaded her to have 
nothing to do with them. 

She was taken sick with a fever, and when about to die she 
called her relatives around her and said to her father, "Your 
religion is worth nothing in the hour of death. I have lived 
it as faithfully as mortal could do, and it is of no good to me 
now. I am going to utter darkness, therefore look to 
yourselves and seek a religion that will support you and enable 
you to face death fearlessly — the one that you have is of no 
value ! ' ' 

Then turning to her brother John, she reproached him with 
having hindered and persuaded her from embracing the gospel 
of Jesus Christ. 

This was too much for him to bear, for he loved his sister 
dearly, and he fainted and fell to the floor. When he regained 
his consciousness his sister had ceased speaking and soon 
died. 



44 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

Brother Parry gives an account of the manner in which he 
became acquainted with the Latter-day Saints and embraced 
the gospel. 

In 1844, a friend of his told him that Joseph Smith, the 
Prophet had been killed. As soon as he heard this, something 
whispered to him: "He was a servant of Grod. " From that 
moment his prejudice against the Latter-day Saints was 
removed. 

He heard but little of "Mormonism" after that until he 
removed to Birkenhead, in 1846. While going from there to 
Liverpool in company with some of his relatives and friends, 
he met a "Mormon" Elder, who invited him to attend 
one of their meetings to be held in the last named place. He 
persuaded his companions to accompany him, and they all 
attended the meeting. While listening to the Elders bear 
their testimony to the great latter-day work, he felt convinced 
that they spoke the truth, and believed them with all his 
heart. 

At the close of the meeting, he asked one of his friends, a 
Campbellite preacher, what he thought of the "Mormons" 
and their doctrines. The preacher replied that their doctrines 
were a "damnable heresy." 

' 'Well, ' ' said Mr. Parry, ' 'one of the sayings of Paul has 
been fulfilled with you and me to-day. ' ' 

"What is that?" asked the preacher. 

"When he said the gospel would be unto one 'the savor of 
death unto death : and to the other the savor of life unto 
life. ' It has been life unto life to me, and I shall be a Latter- 
day Saint," was the response. 

He attended another meeting in the evening of the same 
day, and at the close he and his father handed in their names 
for baptism. 

Shortly after he was baptized Brother Parry was ordained 
an Elder and was appointed to preside over the Birkenhead 
branch of the Church. While praying subsequently for a 
testimony of the truth, a voice spoke to him and said: "The 
gift of healing shall follow thee to a great extent." 

This was literally fulfilled. 



SENT TO PREACH. 45 

After joining the Church Elder Parry was often troubled 
in his sleep by evil spirits. Upon one occasion he inquired of 
the president of the Liverpool branch why it was that he was 
thus annoyed. The Elder replied that some persons were 
troubled more than others, and told him to use the following 
words in his prayers before retiring to rest: "0 Grod, the 
Eternal Father, I ask Thee in the name of Thy Son, Jesus 
Christ ; to give Thine angels charge concerning me this night, 
and allow not the powers of darkness to molest my spirit nor 
body." 

He did this, and was troubled with evil spirits no more, 
until one night, feeling very sleepy, he uttered a hasty, formal 
prayer and went to bed. During the night he was almost 
overcome hy the power of evil spirits, which were visible. 
Unable to utter a word, he prayed fervently in his mind to the 
Lord to release him. In an instant the heavens appeared to 
him to open, and he saw an angel descend towards him. The 
personage took hold of him and raised him up a little, and 
immediately the powers of darkness disappeared. 

Elder Parry asked the angel why it was that the Lord per- 
mitted the evil one to abuse him in such a manner, to which 
he replied: "Because thou didst not pray from the heart, but 
with thy lips. ' ' 

At one time Elder Orson Spencer came from Liverpool to 
spend a few days at a place where Elder Parry was living. 
While there he was taken very sick. Elder Parry anointed 
him and he soon recovered. 

A short time after this the Birkenhead branch of the Church 
was disorganized, and Elder Parry was sent to Wales to 
preach. He was soon out of money, and being without a 
place to stop, he and his fellow-laborer took lodgings in a small 
store. They called for food on credit, trusting the Lord would 
provide means to enable them to pay their way. The next 
day they held two meetings, and enough money was given 
them to pay for their board and some to help them in their 
travels. 

Upon another occasion, he was obliged to put up at a board- 
ing house, as he was a stranger in the place, and there were 
none who would entertain him. He had no money with which 



46 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY, 

to pay his board when he went there, but after holding a meet- 
ing and telling the people that he was a stranger, without 
money, and was sent to preach without purse or scrip, several 
of the congregation donated small sums to help him. While 
on his way to the house where he was stopping, a child came 
to him from the opposite side of the street and placed in his 
hand a half-penny. When he went to settle for his board and 
lodgings he found that he had just the exact amount with 
which he was charged. 

While holding a meeting in the open air, at one time, 
Elder Parry and another traveling Elder were disturbed by a 
ruffian who challenged them to fight, and they were obliged to 
dismiss the meeting. They went to a public house to take 
lodgings, and were followed by a mob. Being impressed that 
they were evil disposed, Elder Parry told the landlady, in the 
presence of the gang of ruffians, that he and his companion 
would take a walk before retiring for the night. He did not 
intend to return again, but said this to avoid being followed by 
the mob. After leaving the house he and his companion cast 
lots in the name of the Lord to know whether they should 
stay in that place for the night or go to another town near by. 
The lot fell for them to leave the place, and they did so. They 
arrived in the next town about midnight, and got lodgings at a 
public house, Elder Parry sleeping with a drunken fellow and 
his friend with a man that had fits several times during the 
night. 

The next morning they returned for their valises, and met a 
man, who informed them that their enemies had been hunting 
for them during the night until seven o'clock in the morning. 
They had searched every part of the town, even among the 
tombstones, in the churchyard, and vowed that if they found 
the Elders they would kill them. 

While preaching in a town in Wales, Elder Parry prophesied 
that before the end of that year (and it was then the month 
of September) there would be a branch of the Church of 
Jesus Christ raised up in that village. At that time there was 
but one member of the Church residing there ; but before the 
year closed a branch with fourteen or fifteen members was 
organized. 



PRESERVED FROM MOBS. 47 

Elder Parry relates some remarkable instances of healing by 
the power of G-od which he witnessed. 

One was in the case of the sister who was afflicted with a 
cancer in her face, an account of which has already been given. 
He assisted Elder Abel Evans in administering to her, and tes- 
tifies to her entire recovery. 

Another case of miraculous healing was that of his brother- 
in-law, John Williams, who now resides in this Territory, and 
who was not a member of the Church at the time this occurred. 
He was also afflicted with a cancer which had completely taken 
away his lower lip and part of his chin and tongue. After 
trying in vain to get relief through the skill of physicians, he 
applied to the Elders of the Church to administer to him. 
They did so twice, and shortly after he received a new tongue, 
lip and chin. 

Two children who were stricken with fever and ague and 
one with cancer, belonging to the same family, were also healed 
through the administration of the Elders. 

Elder Parry testifies that many times while fulfilling his 
duties as an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ he was 
attacked by mobs, who threw stones at him ; and although at 
times the stones flew past him in showers, he was never injured 
by them. Upon several occasions his enemies attempted to 
inflict upon him bodily injury, but they were frustrated in all 
their plans At one time they secured another man, thinking- 
it to be Elder Parry, and maltreated him in a shameful man- 
ner. 

Several of the most bitter enemies of the Church in those 
days died an unnatural death. One man, who was a sectarian 
minister, and one of the worst opposers to the work of God to 
be found in that vicinity, became ferocious like a mad dog, 
and had to be chained up for quite a while before his death. 

Brother Parry was released from his labors as a traveling- 
Elder in the Welsh conference, in the early part of the year 
1856, and immediately prepared to emigrate to this country. 
Upon reaching Iowa City, on his journey westward, he was 
appointed captain of a company of one hundred persons. 
Provisions became scarce among the emigrants, and their 
rations were reduced to one-half pound of flour per day for 



48 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

each person. On account of this, some of the company on 
arriving at Council Bluffs concluded to remain there and work, 
and therefore left the camp. Upon learning this Brother 
Parry went back for them, and prevailed upon them to con- 
tinue their journey. While trying to overtake the company, 
which was a considerable distance ahead, he was surrounded by 
a number of men who were very anxious that the emigrants 
who were with him should stay and work for them, and were 
angry at him for persuading them to leave. Some of the 
pursuing party were sent to procure tar and feathers to cover 
him with, while the others were guarding him. Their atten- 
tion was attracted for a moment in another direction, when 
Elder Parry took advantage of the opportunity to escape by 
running towards the camp of the Saints. He was overtaken, 
however, before he reached it by two of the gang, who seized 
him by the collar, but he made some threats which frightened 
them and they let him go. After reaching camp he was still 
pursued by others who were mounted on horseback, and armed 
with revolvers, clubs, etc. , but he escaped their recognition by 
changing his clothing. The mobocrats finally returned to 
Council Bluffs without having accomplished their object, for 
Elder Parry's influence over the discouraged men prevailed, 
and they decided to continue their journey. 



ELDER JOHN T. EVANS' STATEMENT. 49 



CHAPTER IV. 

JOHN T. EVANS' STATEMENT— A SICK AND HELPLESS WOMAN 
HEALED ON BEING BAPTIZED— RELAPSE AND DEATH AFTER 
APOSTASY — SAINTS REQUIRED TO RENOUNCE THER RELIG- 
ION OR LOSE THEIR SITUATIONS — CHOLERA EPIDEMIC — 
HEALED ACCORDING TO FAITH — PRIVATE DISCUSSION 
WITH A MALIGNANT WHO TAKES THE CHOLERA AND 
BEGS THE ELDERS TO CURE HIM — HEALED AND THEN 
BAPTIZED— CURIOUS MANNER IN WHICH FOOD AND 
LODGING WERE PROVIDED. 

ELDER JOHN T. EVANS, now of Salt Lake City, spent 
about eight years when a young man in preaching the gos- 
pel in his native country — Wales. During about five years of 
this time he labored as a traveling Elder in North Wales, one 
of the very hardest of missionary fields, where he traveled and 
preached without purse or scrip. Much of the time he labored 
alone, for, although many different Elders were sent at various 
times by the president of the mission to assist him, they 
generally became discouraged on account of the persecution 
and hardships they were forced to endure and soon abandoned 
their labors. 

The interesting incidents connected with his labors in that 
land which Elder Evans can relate would fill a volume. 

Upon one occasion he and four other Elders were sent to an 
iron manufacturing district about seven miles from Neath to 
introduce the gospel. Among their first converts were a man 
by the name of William Howells and his family. This man 
on embracing the gospel received a strong testimony of its 
divinity and was fearless in declaring it unto others. He had 
a sister who had been so sick and helpless as to be bed-ridden 
for three-and-a-half years. She was a member of the Baptist 
church, but on hearing the doctrines of the Latter-day 
Saints explained she soon became dissatisfied with her 

3* 



50 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

religion; and when her brother testified to her that the 
gospel had been restored to the earth through the Prophet 
Joseph Smith, with all its former gifts and blessings, she 
declared her intention to be baptized. Her husband was 
bitterly opposed to the gospel, but all the reason, ridicule and 
persuasion that he could use failed to turn her from her 
purpose. She was resolute, and so zealous withal that she 
made a special request to be baptized on Sunday, between 
eleven and twelve o'clock, that the people of the whole 
neighborhood might see the ceremony, and had word circulated 
to that effect. It was a novel thing in that region to see 
Latter-day Saints baptizing, and the result was, that about 
three thousand persons assembled on the bank of the stream 
to witness it. She was carried from the house to the stream, 
the distance of about half a mile in a chair, and there Elder 
Evans, assisted by a man named David Matthews, carried her 
into the water and baptized her. 

She was rewarded for her faith by being entirely restored to 
health, and that too, instantaneously, for she walked out of the 
water and to her home. 

This public manifestation of the power of G-od seemed to be 
the signal for commencing a perfect storm of opposition 
against the Saints. Through the influence of sectarian minis- 
ters with the proprietors of the iron works a great pressure 
was brought to bear against the Saints. It was claimed that 
they were Chartists, that is, members of a political organization 
which had caused a great deal of trouble throughout the 
kingdom a short time previously, and other lies equally 
unreasonable were circulated about them to make them odious 
and unpopular. 

The five Elders who had been doing the preaching and 
baptizing, and who were dependent upon their labor in the iron 
works for their living, were informed by their employers that 
they must renounce the "heresy" which they taught as religion, 
or lose tbeir positions. They chose the latter. 

About two hundred of their converts were also employed in 
the iron works. They were given one month's time to renounce 
their religion or likewise lose their situations. All efforts to 
obtain employment elsewhere without a recommendation from 



NUMBERS HEALED BY THE POWER OF GOD. 51 

their last employers proved unavailing, on account of the 
rumors against their characters, and finally, when they were 
brought to the test, about half of them chose to renounce their 
religion rather than lose their work. The others were dis- 
charged and scattered to different parts in search of employ- 
ment. Many of them suffered severely for want of the 
necessaries of life, and were only kept from starving by the 
collections taken up for their benefit among the more fortunate 
Saints in other parts of the mission. 

Among others who yielded to the pressure which the enemies 
of the Saints brought to bear against them, was the sister who 
had been healed on being baptized. Notwithstanding her 
former zeal and resolution, and the miraculous power of G-od 
which she had experienced, she abandoned the faith. She 
perhaps thought she had no further need of G-od's mercy, but 
if so, the sequel proved how sadly she was mistaken, for she 
was soon prostrated as before and lingered in that condition 
until she died. 

In the summer of 1849 the cholera prevailed throughout 
Wales to an alarming extent. The mortality was so ereat in 
some places that a perfect panic ensued. The Elders, how- 
ever, continued their labors, undaunted by the disease, admin- 
istering to the sick day and night, and the faith of the Saints 
was so great that they almost invariably recovered. A local 
Elder by the name of Thomas Jones, who was a man of some 
property, and not obliged to work for his living, spent his whole 
time while the disease prevailed in visiting among the sick. 
He carried a bottle of consecrated oil about in his pocket to 
anoint them with, and administered to all whom he found 
afflicted, and out of the whole number only one died, and he 
was the only one who had taken the medicine prescribed by a 
doctor. The town regulations required the sick to have a 
doctor, but as a rule his medicine was thrown into the fire 
instead of being taken by the patients who belonged to the 
Church. 

One of the preachers who had violently opposed the Saints 
became alarmed at the spread of the epidemic and attempted 
to flee and escape from it, but it overtook him, and after three 
days of terrible agony he died. 



52 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. • 

Another preacher by the name of Jenkins, who had been 
an enemy to the Saints, was stricken with the cholera and 
sent for Elder Evans to administer to him. That he should 
do so will be considered all the more remarkable when the 
history of their early acquaintance is known: 

Elder Evans, while laboring in Pembrokeshire, obtained the 
use of the town hall, in a place called Fishguard, to hold meet" 
ing in and lighted it at his own expense. When the meeting 
had fairly commenced and he was in the act of preaching to a 
rather large audience, the whole of the lights in the room 
were extinguished simultaneously, according to a preconcerted 
plan, and a rush was made by the rabble towards the end of 
the room where the Elder stood. A tall man, who happened 
to be standing near Elder Evans, immediately placed his hand 
on the latter's shoulder, and said, "Young man, come out of 
here, or you will be hurt!" and leading the way, proceeded 
with him around one side of the room and out through the 
door, leaving the crowd rushing and jamming and shrieking to 
get at the Elder, whom they still supposed to be at the farther 
end of the hall. 

The stranger took Elder Evans to a public house, saying 
that he would like to have a talk with him, and on arriving 
there sent for Mr. Jenkins, the Baptist preacher of the place^ 
who had been at the meeting, and probably engaged in urging 
the rabble on, to come there and have a private discussion. 
He came, and his principal argument consisted of abuse and 
the rehearsal of all the absurd stories which he had ever heard 
about the Saints. Although an educated man he seemed 
unable to cope with Elder Evans in the discussion of religion 
from a Bible standpoint. 

The friend who had delivered Brother Evans from the mob 
finally interrupted them by exclaiming, "Mr. Jenkins, you are 
no match for this young man in discussing from the Bible ; 
you had better go to college again ! ' ' 

Mr. Jenkins seemed considerably chagrined at this, and gave 
it up. 

The next time Elder Evans met this preacher it was some 
months later, and, probably remembering the discussion, Mr. 



A GIRL AFFLICTED WITH THE CHOLERA HEALED. 53 

Jenkins then treated him with some degree of respect. It 
was that very night that he was stricken with the cholera, and 
knowing that Elder Evans was in the village he sent his 
brother to beg of him to come and cure him. Brother Evans, 
and a man named John Nicholas who was staying with him, 
got out of bed and went to the sick man, and found him, 
doubled up with the cholera and in great agony. The Elder 
informed him, in answer to his appeal for relief, that the 
blessings of the gospel were not for men of his class, who 
were determined to oppose the work of Glod, but for the Saints. 
He said, "I will administer to you on one condition only, and 
that is that you repent of your sins and covenant with the 
Lord to forsake them and embrace the gospel if He spares 
your life. ' ' 

"But," said the preacher, writhing with pain, "I have an 
appointment out to preach for my own church. ' ' 

"You must forego that," said Elder Evans, "and preach 
such doctrines no more, or I will not administer to you." 

The sick man agreed, and the brethren placed their hands 
upon his head, rebuked the disease and prayed for his recovery, 
and he was immediately healed. The next day he was bap- 
tized, and afterwards became an efficient preacher of the true 
gospel, endured much persecution for his religion in that 
country, emigrated to Utah with a handcart company and 
finally apostatized when Johnson's army came here. 

Brother Evans and a man named Thomas Harris were upon 
one occasion called on to administer to a young girl who was 
so convulsed with the cholera that she did not look like a 
human being, and so near dead that she was black. A number 
of Saints were present at the time, whose faith was centered 
on her recovery, and several unbelievers were also there. The 
Elders administered to her, and while their hands were upon 
her head all signs of the disease vanished, and she was 
immediately restored to health. 

A rather curious circumstance occurred while Elder Evans 
was laboring in North Wales in company with Peter Davis. 
They were traveling as usual without purse or scrip, and had 
been two days without food, when they entered a village and 



54 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

applied at a store kept by a man named Jones to try to sell a 
few tracts with which to procure some food. 

On learning what kind of tracts they were, the store-keeper 
refused to purchase, and they tramped on. The next place 
they entered was a shoe-maker's shop, where they asked the 
privilege of warming themselves by the fire, for they were 
almost frozen, it being extremely cold weather and the month 
of February. Some of the shoe-makers became interested in 
their conversation and one of them proffered to try and find a 
place for them to stay over night. He returned, however, 
after a while, to say that the Methodist preacher of that 
circuit was to occupy the spare bed which he expected to pro- 
cure for them. He, therefore, recommended them to proceed 
some distance farther till they came to a farm house, to which 
he directed them, where he had no doubt they could get 
lodgings and food. 

The Elders trudged along, but when they arrived at the 
farm house it was evident that the family had retired for the 
night, for there was no light to be seen. They noticed a barn, 
however, standing convenient to the roadside, which seemed to 
offer shelter for them at least, and they entered it and burrowed 
into a heap of straw they found there. They lay in that 
position for some time, shivering with the cold and trying in 
vain to go to sleep, when suddenly they heard some one out- 
side call out, ' 'Hello ! you men ; come out here ! ' ' Their first 
thought was that some one had detected them while in the act 
of seeking shelter in the barn and informed the police, who 
were about to arrest them as vagrants. They, therefore, 
remained as quiet as possible until the call had been repeated 
several times, when they concluded they might as well answer, 
whatever might be the consequences. As soon as they inquired 
what was wanted, the person informed them that he would 
find a place for them to stay if they would come out. Think- 
ing some treachery might be meant, they declined with thanks, 
and told him they could get along where they were. He, 
however, urged them to go with him, saying he would take 
them to a place where they could have a good supper and a 
comfortable bed to sleep in. They accordingly came out and 
accompanied the stranger, whom they had never seen before, 



PROVIDED FOR IN A CURIOUS MANNER. 55 

back to the village and to the very store where they had tried 
to sell the tracts There they found a warm welcome, a good 
supper and a comfortable bed. But now for the sequel : 

A young girl who happened to be in the shoe-shop where 
they called and who overheard the conversation, afterwards 
had occasion to call at Jones' store, and repeated it to the 
proprietor's daughter. The sympathy of the girls was aroused 
at the thoughts of the two young and strange preachers seek- 
ing lodgings and food that cold night, and when Miss Jones 
retired to bed she found it impossible to go to sleep. Her 
teeth rattled and she shook and chilled all over although she 
was in a comfortable bed and in a warm house. Nor could the 
family prevent her from chilling although they did all they 
could to warm her. In the midst of her shivering she kept 
bewailing the fate of the two young preachers, whom she 
felt sure would suffer that cold night, and finally she prevailed 
upon her brother to go in search of them and bring them back 
to their house, that they might h ive some supper and a com- 
fortable bed to sleep in. 

As soon as her brother had started on his errand of mercy 
the girl ceased to chill and, in fact, got up, dressed herself and 
helped at preparing supper for the brethren before they 
arrived. It was not until the next morning that they learned 
the secret of the kindness shown them and saw in what a 
curious manner the Lord had operated in preserving them 
from possible death by freezing and providing them with the 
food which they needed so badly. 

It was (jpite a common thing in early days in the Welsh 
mission for the power of the devil to be manifested in what 
were called the Saints' meetings — that is, testimony or sacra- 
mental meetings. The evil one seemed to be always on the 
alert to operate through some one, and the power of the 
Priesthood invariably had to be exerted to banish the evil 
influences from the meeting. Although not apparent at the 
time, experience generally proved that the persons through 
whom the evil one operated were not serving Grod as they 
should do — they were either doubting the divinity of the prin- 
ciples which they had embraced or they had broken the sacred 
covenants which they had made with the Almighty and gone 



56 m EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

into transgression. Very frequently, after being relieved of the 
evil spirits which possessed them such persons would, in a 
spirit of penitence and humility, acknowledge their faults and 
ask forgiveness, but occasionally persons would be found who 
were not willing to do this, but continued in sin and were a 
source of trouble and disturbance to the Saints whenever they 
happened to be present at their meetings ; and it sometimes 
occurred that the spirits which possessed them were so stub- 
born and determined not to yield that the brethren really found 
it difficult to cope with them. 

In the latter part of the year 1848, the Elders laboring in the 
Merthyr Tydvil branch had a great deal of trouble with two 
young women of that branch who very frequently were pos- 
sessed of evil spirits. They were such a source of annoyance in 
the meetings that, on the day of a general conference which 
was to be held about the close of the year, they were cautioned, 
by Elder Dan Jones who then presided there, against attending 
the meeting. To this, however, they paid no attention, and 
when the meeting was opened, it was only too apparent that 
they were there. In a short time the meeting was in such an 
uproar, through the raving and shrieking of those girls, that the 
speaker could not be heard. Some of the Elders were imme- 
diately sent to cast the evil spirits out of them, but they failed 
to do so, and with difficulty the girls were carried into an 
adjoining room. 

When a presiding Elder has the spirit of his office upon him 
it is his privilege to know the proper course to take in any 
emergency. It is his privilege to enjoy communion with the 
Holy Spirit and have the Lord dictate through him that which 
will be for the best good of the members over whom he is set 
to preside. It is also his privilege to discern by what spirit 
the people with whom he is brought in contact are actuated. 

It would seem that Elder Dan Jones had the spirit of dis- 
cernment on that occasion and was inspired to take the wisest 
course in dealing with the girls and the stubborn spirits by 
which they were possessed. He was satisfied that they were 
wilfully sinful, or the spirit of Grod would not be withdrawn 
from them and the devil suffered to exercise such power over 
them. He therefore proposed that they be cut off from the 



JUDGMENT UPON OPPOSERS. 5< 

Church on account of their transgressions, and the Saints 
assembled voted unanimously to that effect. No sooner had 
they done so than the evil spirits left the girls and they became 
rational. When they were no longer members of the Church, 
the devil had no further need to try to annoy the Saints through 
them. The result was that the girls afterwards saw what their 
sin had brought them to, repented of it and made public 
acknowledgement before the Saint?, after which they were 
re -baptized and were no more troubled by evil spirits. 



CHAPTER V. 

JUDGMENT UPON OPPOSERS — TWO MEN KILLED BY THEIR 
HORSES — HORRIBLE DEATH OF ANOTHER— EIGHT PREACH- 
ERS GO DOWN AFTER OPPOSING ELDER EVANS — A MAN 
SAVED FROM BLEEDING TO DEATH BY THE PRAYER OF 
FAITH — A SISTER HEALED — WOMAN CURED OF A BLOODY 
ISSUE ON BEING BAPTIZED — ESCAPE THE FURY OP A 
MOB BY THE SPIRIT' S WARNING — A WARNING THROUGH 
THE GIFT OF TONGUES. 

IN numbers of instances in Brother John T. Evans' experience 
he had evidence of the judgments of the Almighty being 
visited upon those who opposed him. 

On one occasion he and another Elder visited a village in 
Montgomeryshire, North Wales, to try to effect an opening. 
They failed to obtain a house to hold meeting in, but never- 
theless they announced to the inhabitants that they would be 
back there one week from that time to preach to them. There 
seemed to be a strong spirit of opposition to them there, and 
on their again visiting the place and attempting to preach in 
the street opposite a public house, two men emerged from the 
rear of the tavern leading a couple of fractious and high- 
spirited horses. They immediately commenced manoeuvering 



58 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

the animals in the midst of the crowd who had gathered to 
listen to the preaching. It was evidently a preconcerted plan 
to break up the meeting, and it succeeded, for the people 
scattered and the Elders were forced to retire, and as they did 
so they were followed by a crowd of roughs who pelted them 
with stones till they had got clear of the village. Within two 
weeks from that time one of the men who had helped to break 
up the meeting by leading his horse into the crowd was kicked 
by the same animal and died from the effects of it, and the other 
man was thrown from his horse and killed. The people of 
that region regarded the summary death of these two men as 
a judgment sent upon them for opposing the Elders, and they 
therefore treated them with more respect afterwards. 

Another case occurred in Elder Evans' native place, where 
he was sent by Captain Dan Jones to introduce the gospel. 
An old shoemaker who had known and been friendly to him 
from his childhood, on hearing him preach came out and 
denounced the doctrine he taught as heretical and "Mormon- 
ism' ' as a delusion. He was so bitter that he even followed 
Brother Evans from place to place and railed against him 
almost like a madman. He had not pursued this course very 
long when he was stricken down with a peculiar kind of sick- 
ness which none of the doctors who saw him understood any- 
thing about, although numbers of them visited him. One of 
his arms was paralyzed and he had such a raging fever that he 
felt as if it was consuming him. He begged of his friends to throw 
cold water on him to keep him from burning up, and the 
doctors, not knowing what else to do for his relief, advised that 
it be done. Accordingly those who were waiting upon him 
continued dashing cold water upon him while he remained 
alive, and he died raving and cursing "Mormonism" and every 
person connected with it. 

While preaching in that same region Elder Evans was sent 
for by a very wealthy and influential man named Nathaniel 
Rowlands, who wished him to come and preach at his house. 
He had once heard Elder Abel Evans, preach and became 
somewhat interested in the doctrines he taught, and wanted 
to learn more of them. After preaching at his house he went 
to a village about a mile distant to fill an appointment. At 



OPPOSED BY EIGHT PREACHERS. 59 

this village a literary gathering or eisteddfod was being held, 
composed of the best educated men of the region, who were 
in the habit of meeting to compare their literary and musical 
compositions and compete for prizes. This association com- 
prized quite a number of ministers of various denominations, 
and they, knowing that Elder Evans was going to preach in the 
village on the same evening upon which they were to hold 
their meeting, decided to go and oppose him publicly and 
expose his doctrines to the ridicule of his congregation. They, 
therefore, sent one of their number to Elder Evans' meeting to 
detain him until their meeting was over. 

This man came, and at the close of Elder Evans' sermon he 
began asking him questions, and thus detained him until a late 
hour, and the congregation, knowing the character of the 
inquisitor, stayed to see the end of the controversy. Finally, 
eight other preachers from the eisteddfod came and announced 
to the Elder their intention. Elder Evans was greatly sur- 
prised to see such an array of talent unitedly opposed to him, 
but he did not feel to shrink from the contest, for he knew he 
had the truth on his side. In the outset some of the more 
independent persons in the audience stated that if the fallacy 
of the young man's doctrines was to be exposed, he should 
first be allowed to state briefly what his doctrines were. The 
preachers assented to this and Elder Evans explained, one 
after another, the first principles of the gospel, in as plain a 
manner as possible, and they in turn sought to controvert and 
ridicule them. When he got to the subject of baptism a 
division occurred among the preachers, some of them being 
Baptists and others holding baptism as non-essential. They 
soon got to denouncing each other as vehemently as they had 
the young Elder just before, and when they almost got to 
blows the audience interfered and the meeting was broken up, 
leaving a far more favorable feeling towards Elder Evans than 
had before existed. 

When the news of this reached Mr. Rowlands he was 
very indignant, and he immediately wrote to each of the 
preachers, denouncing his action in interfering with the young 
Elder, whom he had known from childhood as honest and 
conscientious, and every way deserving of respect. The result 



60 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

was, the preachers lost caste from that very time and sunk into 
oblivion, despised by all who knew them. 

While Elder Evans was laboring in Pembrokeshire a man by 
the name of Thomas Evans broke a blood vessel and bled 
inwardly, the blood also issuing from his nose and mouth pro- 
fusely. Doctors were called in and tried in vain to stop the 
hemorrhage. Brother Evans and another Elder on learning of 
the man's condition went to see him. He had then grown so 
weak that he was scarcely able to speak, but he made known 
that he desired them to administer to him. They complied 
with his request, and on taking their hands from his head it 
was noticed that the bleeding had stopped, and the man 
recovered from that time, although it was some time before he 
regained his strength, as he had lost so much blood. 

Near the same time and in the same region a sister in the 
Church, named Morgan, was taken very sick. Her friends did 
all they could for her, but she continued growing worse. 
When she had grown so bad that the persons waiting upon her 
expected her to die almost hourly, she fell asleep and dreamed 
that Elder Evans came and laid his hands upon her and she 
recovered immediately. On relating the dream to her friends, 
ihey tried to find out where Brother Evans was, and sent to 
different parts of the country in search of him, without finding 
him, however; but during the day Elder Evans happened to 
call at the house where the sick woman was. She saw him as 
he passed the window before he entered the door and she 
declared afterwards that the sight of him caused her pain to 
vanish, and when he laid his hands upon her head she was 
healed instantly, and arose and ate her supper. 

One of the most remarkable cases of healing that ever 
occurred in Brother Evans' experience was that of a woman 
who had been afflicted with a bloody issue for thirty years, and 
who had been given up by the doctors as incurable. On hear- 
ing the gospel she believed, and requested baptism. Notwith- 
standing the protests of her friends, who all declared that if 
she went into the water it would kill her, she determined to do 
so, and Elder Evans baptized her. From that very time she 
was cured of her affliction and was no more troubled by it. 



ESCAPES THE FURY OF THE MOB. 61 

In illustration of the providential way in which the Elders 
are sometimes preserved when their enemies seek to destroy 
them, Brother Evans relates the following: In a village in 
Pembrokeshire in which he had often preached, a man by the 
name of Thomas, who had listened to his testimony and was 
a believer but had not made up his mind to be baptized, was 
taken sick with the cholera. When the disease had got such 
a hold upon him that he felt that he must die, he became very 
anxious to be baptized, and sent for his brother, who was an 
Elder in the Church, and demanded baptism at his hands. He 
expressed no hopes of living, he fully expected to die, and to 
gratify him his brother baptized him. The man died soon 
afterwards as he had expected to, but at the coroner's inquest 
which was held over the body, on the fact being known that he 
was baptized, a great uproar was raised. His brother was 
arrested, charged with murder, and the Elders who had labored in 
that region were threatened with the vengeance of the populace 
if they ever returned. John Thomas was in time tried for his 
brother's murder, and acquitted, the evidence being clear that he 
died from cholera and not from being baptized. Soon afterwards 
Elder John Morris, who was president of the Pembrokeshire 
conference, and Brother Evans, who was his counselor, called 
at the village and put up as usual at the house of an old gentle- 
man named Noat, who was a member of the Church. Before 
retiring for the night they felt impressed to leave that house, 
and go to another and stay. It was fortunate that they did so, 
for, if they had failed to act upon the warning of the Spirit, 
they would probably have forfeited their lives as a consequence. 
In the night a mob broke open the doors of Noat's house and 
searched for the Elders, whom they supposed to be there. 
Failing to find them, they dragged old Brother Noat from his 
house and abused him most shamefully, because he would not 
inform them where the Elders were. The Elders, on hearing 
of the outrage the next morning, went to the house; but were 
seen by some ol the mob, and had to flee for their lives, 
being stoned out of the place. 

As an example of the manner in which the gifts of tongues and 
the interpretation of the same were enjoyed by the Saints in the 
Welsh mission in an early day, Brother Evans relates the fol- 



62 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

lowing : It was customary at that time for the Saints in emi- 
grating from Wales to sail from Swansea to Liverpool. A cou- 
ple or three days after a company had started in this way, 
many of them having gone from Aberdare, a ' 'Saints' meeting' ' 
was being held in the latter place, when a young man was led to 
speak in tongues. On the interpretation being given by 
another person present, it was stated that the company of 
Saints who had sailed for Liverpool were in danger of being 
wrecked, and were praying very earnestly for their deliverance, 
and wishing that their friends at home would also pray for 
them. The man who presided over the meeting supposed 
from the length of time which had elapsed after the company 
had sailed that they must have reached Liverpool before that 
time. He therefore preferred to act upon his own judgment 
to accepting the Spirit's warning, and dismissed the meeting 
without offering a prayer for the safety of their friends. A 
few days afterwards news reached Aberdare that the com- 
pany had been all but lost on the voyage, and at the time that 
their friends were holding their meeting they were in the 
greatest peril. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THOMAS D. GILES' EXPERIENCE — HIS HEAD CRUSHED AND 
SPLIT OPEN BY A TON OF COAL FALLING UPON IT — 
HEALED BY THE POWER OF GOD — A DEAF AND DUMB 
MAN RECEIVES HIS HEARING AND SPEECH ON BEING 
BAPTIZED, ETC. 

BROTHER, THOMAS D. GILES, of Salt Lake City, was 
connected with the Church and labored considerably in 
the ministry in Wales soon after the introduction of the gospel 
in that land. He relates many curious circumstances con- 
nected with his conversion to the gospel and his early experience 
in the same, some of which we will give to our readers sub- 
stantially as he tells them : 



ELDER THOS. D. GILES'- EXPERIENCE. 63 

Brother Giles was a Baptist when he was a young man, and 
an earnest seeker after truth wherever it was to be found. 
The first time he met his friend Abel Evans after that gentle- 
man had joined the Church, he was asked by him what he 
thought of the Latter-day Saints. Brother Giles replied that 
he knew nothing about them. Brother Evans then predicted 
that he soon would know something about them, and, more 
than that, he and his father's family would soon be baptized 
by them. Brother Giles thought but little of this prediction 
at the time, but it was soon literally fulfilled, for on hearing 
the gospel preached he was convinced of its truth, and on the 
1st of November, 1844, he was baptized by Elder Abel Evans. 
He bears his solemn testimony now that as soon as the Elders 
placed their hands upon his head and confirmed him a mem- 
ber of the Church the power of the Holy G-host filled his 
sj^stem, brought joy to his heart and gave him an assurance 
that his sins were forgiven, for which he had been praying for 
many years. His father was also prepared to receive the 
gospel as soon as he heard it preached, for he had for a long 
time been inquiring after a church organized after the pattern 
given by our Savior and His apostles, and possessing the 
various gifts which were formerly enjoyed by the Saints. The 
result was that he and the whole of his family were soon 
baptized. 

About seventeen months after he was baptized Elder Giles 
was called to labor as a missionary in Monmouthshire, where he 
soon baptized a goodly number of people, organized about thirty 
branches of the Church and had the satisfaction of seeing his 
converts enjoy the gifts of the gospel, such as speaking in 
tongues, interpreting the same, healing the sick, casting out 
evil spirits, etc. He had much opposition to meet, and 
suffered considerable persecution, but was upheld by the power 
of God, and had great joy in his labors. When holding out- 
door meetings he was frequently interrupted by persons who 
were influenced by the sectarian ministers of the region. One 
man in particular, named Daniels, was very persistent in 
opposing him and trying to break up his meetings, and on one 
occasion after doing so he declared that if the Elders attempted 
to hold meeting again at the same place the following Sunday 



64 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

he would have men enough there to mob them out of the 
place. Before the next Sunday came, however, the man was 
in his grave, having been accidentally killed while at his work. 

The first person baptized under Brother Giles' administration 
was a man named Wm. Lewis, who immediately opened his 
house for the Elders to hold meetings in. But the Saints 
soon numbered so many that his house would not contain 
them. The Elders then applied to a tavern keeper for a large 
room in which to hold their meetings, which he very kindly 
granted them, and in a short time he and all his family were 
converted and baptized, and gave up their tavern. Baptisms 
occurred every night in the week, and in a short time that 
branch numbered two hundred and three. In time a still 
larger hall was required in which to convene, and the Elders 
applied to a Mr. Davis, who owned a large building called 
u The Greyhound Hall," to obtain the use of it. He, however, 
could not think of allowing the "Mormons" to meet in his 
hall, as he feared it would injure his business and destroy his 
influence. But he soon had reason to regret taking such an 
illiberal course, as he met with a series of losses through hav- 
ing his animals suddenly sicken and die, and could only 
attribute his bad luck to the displeasure of the Almighty at 
his refusal to grant the Saints the use of his hall. After that 
he was glad to have them use it. Among others baptized was 
the leader of the Baptist choir as well as most of his principal 
singers, and as a consequence the singing in the meetings of 
the Saints became quite an attractive feature. 

The faith in the ordinances of the gospel displayed by the 
Saints among whom Brother (riles labored was quite remark- 
able. The feeling with most of them on being taken sick was 
that if they could only have the Elders come and lay their 
hands upon them they would be well, and the result was 
generally according to their faith. Brother Wm. Lewis, of 
whom mention has already been made, was taken serious^ 
sick on one occasion and was unable to leave his bed. His 
first thought was to send for Elder Griles to come and administer 
to him. He visited him as requested, and, on entering the 
door, called out cheerily, asking him what he meant by lying 
jn bed, and told him to get up and come down stairs. So 



NUMEROUS CASES OF MIRACULOUS HEALING. 65 

great was the sick man's faith that he sprang out of bed on 
hearing the voice and obeyed, and when Brother Giles had 
administered to him he was as well as he ever had been. 

Similar faith was manifested by the Saints when the cholera 
prevailed in that land, and Brother Giles testifies that every 
one so afflicted whom he or the other Elders laboring with him 
administered to, recovered. This was certainly remarkable, 
considering the very great number of unbelievers who died 
there of that dread malady. One case in particular Brother 
Giles mentions, that of a sister named Dudley, who was so 
bad that she had turned black and whose sunken eyes indicated 
that she had not many minutes to live. None of the friends 
who surrounded her had any hopes of her living except her 
husband. He called for Elder Giles to administer to her and 
when he did so she was restored to health and is now living 
in Utah. 

About the same time a Mrs. Davies, who was not in the 
Church, sent for Elders Giles and Dudley to administer to her, 
as she was very sick and confined to her bed. They did so, 
and her faith made her whole. After that she and her husband 
joined the Church, and are in Utah now, true Latter-day 
Saints. 

On another occasion, when Elder Giles was on a visit to his 
father's house, he was sent for to administer to a neighbor 
lady, who had been sick and confined to her bed for a consider- 
able length of time. When he went to see her she was suffer- 
ing the most excruciating pain, but when he had anointed her 
and rebuked her disease all pain vanished and she was restored 
to health. She afterwards came to Utah and frequently testi- 
fied of the miraculous manner in wich she was healed. 

Brother Giles himself met with a terrible accident, and the 
power of God manifested in preserving his life and restoring 
him to health, was not less remarkable than in the cases before 
mentioned. On the 23rd of July, 1843, he visited the Llanelly 
branch of the Church, where he held meeting out of doors in 
the forenoon and in the afternoon attended a sacrament meeting. 
At the latter meeting permission was given for any of the 
Saints to speak as they might feel led by the Spirit. Among 
others Elder Giles was moved upon to speak in tongues, and 



66 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

the interpretation of what he said was given to the president 
of the branch, Elder John Morgan, as follows : "My servant, 
watch, for thy life is in danger ; but through thy faith thy life 
shall be spared!" 

Feeling sure that there was something prophetic about this, 
Elder Giles warned Brother Morgan at the close of the meeting 
to be careful, and not to be out late at night, lest some plot 
might be laid by his enemies to take his life. He also said 
that he would try to take care of himself, and avoid danger, 
lest it might be himself that the warning was intended for. 

On the following Wednesday, the 26th of July, Brother 
Griles went to his work as usual in the coal mine, and in a 
short time after he had commenced work a large piece of coal, 
weighing about two thousand pounds fell upon him. He was 
in a stooping posture at the time, being about to pick up a 
piece of coal that lay in front of him, and when he was 
knocked down his head lodged between this and the mass of 
coal that fell upon him. His head was split open from the 
back of the crown down to his eyes. One of his eyes was 
also completely cut out of the socket, and the other crushed 
so that it ran out. 

He was taken home, and two physicians came and examined 
his head. They declined doing anything for him, as they said 
it was not possible for him to live over two hours. However, 
after a great deal of persuasion, they consented to wash off his 
head, pick the pieces of coal out of it and sew up the wounds. 
They also left medicine for him to take, such as they thought 
suitable for the case, but he refused to take a drop of it. He 
remembered the promise of the Lord, that through faith his 
life should be spared, and felt to hold on to it and claim a 
blessing at the hands of the Almighty. The Saints of the 
branch in which he lived were very faithful and kind, and did 
all they possibly could under the circumstances for his com- 
fort. 

On the third day after the accident Elder William S. 
Phillips, the president of the Welsh mission, anointed him 
with consecrated oil, laid his hands upon his head and blessed 
him in the name of Jesus Christ. Brother Griles testifies that 
the healing power of the Holy Spirit did rest upon him at that 



DEAF AND DUMB MAN HEALED. 67 

time, for he got out of bed and walked across two rooms, back 
and forth. On the ninth day after the accident he sang a 
song for some of his friends who had called to see him, and in 
four weeks he traveled twelve miles in company with two of 
the brethren to visit his father and mother and the president of 
the branch. On the fourth Sunday after the accident, being 
called upon, he spoke in a public meeting in the afternoon and 
evening. 

Soon after that he was called upon to travel throughout the 
mission and bear his testimony and preach to the people, in 
company with Elder John Jones, and he did so. 

While thus engaged he visited Newport, and learned the 
particulars of a miracle that had occurred there a short time 
previous. A young man named Reuben Brinkworth, who had 
been deaf and dumb for a number of years, manifested a desire 
to be baptized, and on receiving that ordinance at the hands of 
Elder Nash, in whose house he resided, both his hearing and 
speech were immediately restored to him. 

Brother Giles visited this young man and questioned him in 
regard to the miracle, and was assured by him that when he 
went into the water to be baptized he could neither hear nor 
speak, but as soon as he was baptized he could do both. 
Brother Nash also bore his testimony to the same facts. 

Near the same time that Brother Giles met with his accident 
a friend of his, named David Davis, who was living in Merthyr, 
was almost crushed to a pulp by the roof of a coal mine falling 
upon him. When he was dug out Elder William Phillips and 
some other brethren laid their hands upon him and promised 
him that he should live and be healed. While their hands 
were upon his head, his broken ribs and other bones were 
heard coming together with a noise which was quite percep- 
tible. Brother Davis, who was a truthful, honest man, lived 
to travel about Wales and testify of this miracle and follow 
his daily labor as if no such accident had ever occurred. He 
afterwards emigrated to the United States, and is perhaps yet 
alive. 



EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 



CHAPTER VII. 

SCENE IN THE EXPERIENCE OF WM. J. SMITH— A STRANGE 
PROPHECY AND ITS WONDERFUL FULFILLMENT. 

TN February, 1856, Elder William J. Smith, who was on a 
-*- mission in England, was appointed by the Presidency of 
the Church in that land to preside over the Warwickshire 
conference. Under his ministrations many were baptized into 
the Church in Coventry, which stirred up the clergy of that 
city against him to such an extent that they specially enjoined 
it upon their scripture readers to warn the people against going 
to hear the "Mormons." 

Elder Smith determined to deliver a series of eight lectures 
on the first principles of the gospel, at Spurn End chapel, the 
regular meeting place of the Saints; and to secure attendance he 
placarded Coventry with large bills announcing his intention. 
This caused many to come and hear him. 

On the Sunday morning announced for the sixth lecture 
Elder Smith was so sick that he was unable to arise from his 
bed. In this extremity he prayed earnestly to the Lord to 
heal him, so that he could fill his appointment. It was with 
much difiiculty that he went to the morning's meeting, but 
being resolved to do his utmost, he addressed the Saints, and, 
the Spirit of Glod resting upon him, he was much strengthened 
and was enabled to fill his appointment in the afternoon. 

The meeting was a very crowded one ; all classes apparently 
were represented ; scripture readers were present to take notes, 
while numbers, probably hundreds, were unable to obtain 
admission. - 

In the rear of the chapel ran the line of railway that con- 
nected Coventry with Nuneaton, and in that portion of its 
road it was built upon arches high above the ground. These 
were so near the chapel that whenever a train passed, it not 
only made a great noise, but perceptibly shook the building. 



A STRANGE PROPHECY FULFILLED. 69 

Elder Smith's audience, though so large, was a very attentive 
one, but shortly after he had commenced speaking a train came 
thundering by, causing the minds of the people to be distracted 
from his teachings. Feeling annoyed at the interruption, the 
speaker suddenly stopped talking, paused for a few moments 
and then exclaimed, "Babylon! confusion! I cannot speak an 
hour without being interrupted by the railway," and then, 
stretching out his hand, he continued, "In the name of Jesus 
Christ, my Master, that railway arch shall fall to the ground." 
Elder Smith then continued his sermon. When he had done, 
he had mingled feelings ; he could scarcely understand why he 
was prompted to utter such a prophecy ; he felt that if he had 
left that out it would have been the best discourse he ever 
preached. But the words were uttered and could not be 
recalled ; they had been heard by scores, many of whom were 
not friends of the Saints ; still he felt impressed that what he 
had prophesied was by the Spirit of God, and that gave him 
peace. 

His words were reported to nine clergymen, who made it 
their business to have competent judges examine the arches 
and discover if possible if there was any cause for a state- 
ment and prophecy such as his. These gentlemen declared 
the arches to be sound, that there were no better in England, 
and consequently Brother Smith was ridiculed and derided as 
a false prophet. 

Shortly afterwards Elder Smith was called away from 
Coventry by the presidency of the mission, and appointed to 
succeed Elder Henry Lunt in the presidency of the Newcastle- 
on-Tyne pastorate. He left Warwickshire without seeing his 
prophecy fulfilled ; but within a few weeks a heavy rain fell 
and undermined the arches, and nineteen out of twenty-one 
fell to the ground, leaving only two standing. Through this 
fall much damage was done to the contiguous residences and 
other property. 

Brother Henry Russell, who now lives at Union, in Salt 
Lake County, was at that time a lamp-lighter in Coventry. 
He was engaged in lighting the street lamps when this 
destruction took place. He was just about to pass under one 
of the arches when it fell, and he probably would have been killed 



70 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

had he not been stopped by a policeman and detained until the 
danger was over. 

Thus is the saying of the Lord corroborated, that what His 
servants declare by His Spirit He will fulfill. 



REMARKABLE HEALINGS. 



MARTIN H. PECK S TESTIMONY OP A NUMBER OP REMARK- 
ABLE CASES OP HEALING — A BROKEN ARM, A CRUSHED 
LEG, ETC., HEALED IMMEDIATELY. 

BROTHER MARTIN H. PECK, of Salt Lake City, 
relates a series of cases of healing that occurred in his 
family and under his administration. He joined the Church 
in Vermont, in 1 833, and about two years later, while on a visit 
to a place about nine miles from where he lived, he received 
word from his wife at home that their child was lying at the 
point of death and she desired him to come home immediately 
and bring an Elder with him. He was not more surprised at 
learning of his son's dangerous condition than of the faith in 
the ordinances of the gospel which his wife manifested, by 
wanting an Elder to lay hands on the child ; for she had not 
then joined the Church or manifested much interest in the 
gospel. He was therefore almost as much pleased on his 
wife's account as he was pained on account of his child on 
receiving the news. Taking Elder James Snow with him, he 
hastened home, and found the little fellow lying helpless and 
in a very low condition in his mother's arms. Brother Peck 
only held the office of a Teacher at the time, so Elder Snow 
administered to the child alone, and while doing so the little 
fellow dozed off into a quiet slumber, and when he awoke he 
was as well as he ever had been. 

Soon afterwards Brother Peck himself was taken extremely 
ill, and to all appearances seemed about to die. He even lost 
his sight and was in the greatest agony, but Elder John Badger 
was called in and rebuked the disease and blessed him, and 



ELDER M. H. PECK'S TESTIMONY. 71 

he was healed immediately. On describing his symptoms 
afterwards to a friend who was an experienced physician, he 
was assured that his was an extreme case, and it was doubtful 
if medical skill could have saved him. 

Near the same time his son Joseph was troubled with a 
couple of swellings on the glands of his neck which threatened 
to choke him. After various remedies had been tried without 
avail a physician was consulted, who declared the boy could 
not livelong if they continued to grow, and recommended that a 
surgical operation be performed to remove them, although even 
that, he admitted, would be very dangerous. Brother Peck 
concluded not to act upon his advice, and he sent for some 
Elders instead and had them anoint and lay hands upon him. 
The result was that in a few days the swellings had entirely 
disappeared. 

From Vermont Brother Peck removed to Ohio, and while 
there a great deal of sickness pre vailed and many deaths 
occurred in his neighborhood. The doctors seemed to be 
entirely baffled in their efforts to cope with the disease. Among 
others stricken down was Brother Peck's son, William. He 
lay unconscious all day with his eyes turned back in his head, 
and apparently in a dying condition. A number of neighbors 
called in to see him and urged Brother Peck to send for a 
doctor. He told them, however, that he could not have much 
confidence in doctors' skill after seeing the children which 
they attended die off, as they had done, like rotten sheep. He 
preferred to have nothing to do with them. Nor did he feel 
like administering to the boy while unbelievers were in the 
house. His wife happened to be away from home, and he 
felt confident that when she returned their united faith would 
result in obtaining a blessing from the Almighty. Some of 
the neighbors in their solicitude stayed with the boy all 
day, and doubtless thought Brother Peck an unfeeling 
wretch, as he would not send for a doctor. On the return of 
Sister Peck she, too, refused to have a physician, and so the 
neighbors left in disgust. As soon as they had done so the 
parents called mightily upon the Lord to spare their child's 
life and Brother Peck rebuked the disease, and he was healed 
instantly. 



72 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

But a few days had elapsed when their son Joseph was 
taken suddenly very sick, and a neighbor hastened to Brother 
Peck's shop to inform him if something were not done immedi- 
ately for his relief he would be dead. He also offered his 
services to wait upon him. Brother Peck thanked him for his 
kindness but declined accepting the offer. On reaching his 
home and seeing the condition of the child, which was truly 
alarming, he and his wife referred the case to the Lord, with 
the same result as in the previous case. 

A rather curious case was that of a young lady who lived 
in Brother Peck's family who was afflicted with a most distress- 
ing cough, from which she could get no relief. It seemed as 
if she would almost choke with it. On being administered to 
by the Elders she was relieved immediately, and never coughed 
again for two weeks, when, on getting in a passion, the cough 
returned. 

There was a doctor by the name of Harvey Tate living 
neighbor to Brother Peck in Ohio, who became somewhat inter- 
ested in the doctrines of the Latter-day Saints, and for the 
purpose of learning more concerning them made a visit to his 
house. While he was there Brother Peck's son James was 
brought home with a broken arm, caused by his falling from a 
tree. The fracture was about three inches above the wrist 
joint, and so complete that his arm formed a right angle at the 
place where it was broken. The doctor set and bandaged it, 
and the boy was put in bed. The pain was so great, however, 
that he could scarcely endure it, and after the doctor had gone 
he begged his father to "bless" him, saying he knew that 
would cure him. 

Brother Peck accordingly administered to him and the pain 
immediately ceased. He slept well during the night and on 
getting up the next morning played about with his fellows as if 
nothing had ever been the matter with his arm, not even 
having it in a sling The next day he was sent to the doctor 
to show him his arm, and when he entered his house, the 
doctor noticed, to his surprise, that the boy took hold of a chair 
with his lame hand and lifted it forward to sit down upon. 
Taking the little fellow by the hand, he then asked him if he 
felt any pain in his arm or hand, and the boy answered frankly 



DYING WOMAN INSTANTLY RESTORED TO HEALTH. 73 

that he did not. The doctor bent his fingers and saw that he 
had free use of them, then examined his hand and wrist and 
saw that there was no sign of swelling, and declared that it 
was the power of Grod which had healed the broken limb, for 
nothing else could have done it in so short a time. This 
incident probably influenced Dr. Tate in favor of the Latter- 
day Saints, as he soon afterwards joined the Church. He was 
baptized by Elder John E. Page, and ordained an Elder, and 
for some time was quite a faithful and efficient member, but 
he subsequently lost the faith. He had abundant evidence, 
however, while he remained in the Church that the power of 
Grod was with the Saints, as he saw it manifested on several 
occasions so plainly that he could not deny it. But he may 
have been like some others of whom it has been said that they 
joined the Church through seeing a miracle performed and 
apostatized because they could not see one every day. 

On one occasion he and Elder Peck were called upon to go a 
distance of ten miles to see a sister in the Church who was 
thought to be dying. They traveled with all possible speed, 
and on arriving at the place found the woman in a very critical 
condition. The doctor, although used to scenes of sickness, 
allowed Brother Peck to take the lead in directing what should 
be done for the relief of the patient, and he proposed to anoint 
and lay hands upon her. They accordingly did so, and she 
was healed immediately, and arose and prepared supper for 
them. While returning home the doctor remarked jocularly, 
that the experience of that evening presented a new phase in 
his medical practice. He had never taken that course before 
to cure patients, nor was he in the habit of going that distance 
to visit them without charging for it. 

While journeying to Missouri with the "Kirtland Camp, " 
Brother Peck's son, Edwin, had his leg accidentally run over by 
a heavily loaded wagon, on a very hard road. When he was 
picked up the limb appeared to be flattened as if almost 
crushed to a pulp, and the flesh was laid open. Brother Peck 
had seen the power of Grod manifested in so many instances 
then, and he had such confidence in the Almighty hearing and 
answering his prayers, that he never thought of summoning a 
surgeon, but immediately administered to the boy and then 

3* 



74 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

placed him in the wagon. In an hour afterwards he examined 
his leg and found that it was entirely well, the only sign of the 
injury left being a slight scar which had the dry and scaly 
appeaance of an old sore, long since healed up. The place was 
not even discolored. There were numbers of witnesses to this 
miracle, many of whom are living to-day. 



PHILO DIBBLE'S NARRATIVE. 



CHAPTER I. 

HIS EARLY LIFE — CONVERSION — CURIOUS SIGNS — JOSEPH 
REMOVES TO KIRTLAND — WONDERFUL MANIFESTATIONS 
— A MIRACULOUS CASE OF HEALING— SIDNEY RIGDON 
IN DARKNESS— JOSEPH PREDICTS THAT THE EVIL ONE 
WILL HANDLE HIM, AND THE PREDICTION IS FUL- 
FILLED. 

r AM the second son of Orotor and Bulah Dibble, and was 
* born June 6th, 1806, at Peru, Pittsfield County, Massa- 
chusetts. When I was quite young my father removed to the 
town of G-ranby, where he died when I was ten years old, leav- 
ing my mother with nine children. My elder brother, Philander, 
and I were taken by one Captain Apollos Phelps, living at 
Suffield, Connecticut, to raise until we were twenty-one years 
old, he having no children of his own. Morally speaking, he 
was a good man, and taught us good principles, and treated 
us as though we were his own sons. 

I remained with him four or five months after I became of 
age, when I resolved to travel. I then visited Boston, Massa- 
chusetts, and its harbor, and saw the ship Java, that was 
fitted out with six hundred soldiers to protect the merchants 
against the pirates. I also visited several islands and many of 
the surrounding towns and then returned to Sufiield, where I 



EARLY LIFE OF ELDER PHTLO DIBBLF. 75 

became acquainted with Miss Celia Kent, daughter of Benajah 
Kent, of Suffield, and married her; the Rev. Calvin Phileo 
performing the ceremony. I was then twenty-three years of 
age. 

My wife having some property in Ohio, we sold our posses- 
sions in Connecticut and removed to that part. While crossing 
Lake Erie from Buffalo to Fairport we encountered a terrible 
storm, and our destruction seemed imminent, but through an 
overruling Providence we were saved and landed safely. 
We passed through Chardon, Ohio, and located three miles 
west of that city, at a place called King Street, which was 
within five miles of Kirtland. I there purchased a farm and 
entered into the business of buying and selling wild lands. 

One morning I was standing at my gate when two men 
drove up in a two-horse wagon, and asked me to get in and 
go home with them, about quarter of a mile distant. 
On the way, one asked me if I had heard the news, and 
informed me that four men had come to Kirtland with a golden 
Bible and one of them had seen an angel. They laughed and 
ridiculed the idea, but I did not feel inclined to make light of 
such a subject. I made no reply, but thought that if angels 
had administered to the children of men again I was glad of 
it; I was afraid, however, it was not true. On my return 
home I told my wife what I had heard. 

The next day I was intending to go fifty miles south to the 
town of Suffield, Ohio, to pay some taxes, but my wife think- 
ing that one or two days would not make much difference 
about that, proposed that we should hunt up those strange 
men in Kirtland. 

The next morning I took my wife, another man and his wife, 
and started for Kirtland. When we arrived there, the men 
we were seeking had gone to the town of Mayfield, but were 
to return to Kirtland the next day. The following morning I 
hitched up my carriage and again drove to Kirtland, one of 
my neighbors accompanying us with his team and family. On 
arriving there, we were introduced to Oliver Cowdery, Ziba 
Peterson, Peter Whitmer, Jr. , and Parley P. Pratt. I remained 
with them all day, and became convinced that they were sincere 
in their professions. I asked Oliver what repentance con- 



76 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

sisted of, and he replied, "Forsaking sin and yielding obedience 
to the gospel!" 

That evening he preached at Brother Isaac Morley's, and 
bore his testimony to the 'administration of an angel at noon- 
day. He then dwelt upon the subjects of repentance and 
baptism and the bestowal of the Holy Grhost, and promised 
that all who embraced these principles with honesty of heart 
should receive a testimony. He also requested all who wished 
to be baptized to make it manifest by arising. Five persons, 
among whom were William Cahoon and myself, arose. I then 
made preparations for baptism by borrowing a suit of clothes. 
My wife thought I was too hasty, and said if I would wait 
awhile perhaps she would go along with me. She was a 
Baptist by persuasion. I paid no heed to her, but went forth- 
with and was baptized by Parley P. Pratt. This was on the 
16th of October, 1830. When I came out of the water, I 
knew that I had been born of water and of the spirit, for my 
mind was illuminated with the Holy Grhost. 

I spent that evening at Dr. F. Gr. Williams'. While in bed 
that night I felt what appeared to be a hand upon my left 
shoulder and a sensation like fibers of fire immediately enveloped 
my body. It passed from my right shoulder across my breast 
to my left shoulder, it then struck me on my collar bone and 
went to the pit of my stomach, after which it left me. I was 
enveloped in a heavenly influence, and could not sleep for 
joy. 

The next morning I started home a happy man. All my 
neighbors were anxious to know the result of my visit to Kirt- 
land, and I was visited by two Campbellite preachers, named 
respectively Scott and Williams, one of whom remarked, "Mr. 
Dibble, I understand you have joined the 'Mormons. ' What 
reason have you to believe they have the truth?" 

I told them, "The scriptures point to such a work, which 
should come forth." 

He then asked me where I found it. I took the Bible and 
opened it where it speaks of truth springing out of the earth, 
and righteousness looking down from above. He read it 
and handed it to the other preacher. They made no com- 
ments. 



GIFTS OF THE GOSPEL ENJOYED. 77 

I bore my testimony to them of what I had received, and 
Mr. Scott said, "I don't doubt, Mr. Dibble, that you have 
received all you say, because you are honest, but they are 
impostors. ' ' 

I then asked Mr. Scott if he believed the Lord would bless 
the labors of a false prophet, to which they did not stop to 
reply but left, and told the people it was no use talking 
to me. 

One of my neighbors came to me and said, "We have sent 
a man down to York State to find out the truth of this work, 
and he is a man who will not lie. If he returns and says it is 
false, will you believe him?" 

I told him I would believe the truth, and asked him if that 
man (whose name was Edward Partridge) should come back 
and say it was false if he would believe him. 

He replied, "Yes; for he is a man who would not lie for his 
right arm ! ' ' 

I then added, ' 'If he says it is true, will you then believe 
him?" to which he reluctantly replied that he would. 

Shortly after this, however, when Brother Partridge wrote 
back and said that he had been baptized, and was then preach- 
ing the gospel, this man shunned me, and for a long time after- 
wards gave me no chance to talk with him. But when we 
met, I asked him what he thought of Brother Partridge, and 
he replied that he was honest, but had been deceived. 

The four missionaries who had visited Kirtland proceeded on 
westward to the borders of the Limanites, in Jackson County, 
Missouri, on the mission to which they had been called by 
revelation through Joseph the Prophet, leaving the few con- 
verts they had made to themselves. Meetings were held occa- 
sionally by the members of the Church in Kirtland, all of 
which I attended. All manner of spirits were there made 
manifest, and no one to detect them. Many persons were 
operated upon in a very strange manner, and I was impressed 
that the spirits which inspired them were from the evil one. 

At a meeting held one evening at Brother Whitney's, the 
heavens were opened and the Spirit of G-od filled the house 
and rested upon all the congregation to overflowing, little 
children not excepted. Prophesying and singing the songs of 



78 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

Zion were indulged in until morning. Brother Whitney, who 
had not then yielded obedience to the gospel, was convinced of 
the truth, and shortly after was baptized. 

I will here observe that about the time of which I write, 
there were many signs and wonders seen in the heavens above 
and in the earth beneath in the region of Kirtland, both by 
Saints and strangers. A pillar of light was seen every 
evening for more than a month hovering over the place where 
we did our baptizing. One evening also, as Brother William 
Blakesley and I were returning home from meeting, we observed 
that it was unusually light, even for moonlight ; but, on reflec- 
tion, we found the moon was not to be seen that night. Although 
it was cloudy, it was as light as noonday, and we could seem- 
ingly see a tree farther that night than we could in the day 
time. 

Soon after this Joseph with his father's family came to Kirt- 
land, and said the Lord had sent him there, and he or the 
devil would have to leave. 

This was the first time I had beheld Joseph. After he 
arrived the false spirits which had been operating through the 
members of the Church ceased for awhile. 

I held myself in readiness to assist the Smith family with 
my means or my personal services as they might require, as 
they were financially poor. They were living on a farm owned 
by F. Gr. Williams, in Kirtland, upon which there was a debt 
of four hundred dollars due, which had to be paid within a 
stated time or the farm would revert to its former 
owner. 

Joseph Coe, who was required to raise this amount to save the 
farm, said he could not do so, for his wife held the money and 
she did not belong to the Church. Being present with 
Joseph when the subject came up, I said to him, "I can 
raise the money!" and he replied that if I would, I should 
be blessed. 

I explained to him how I would have to raise the money. 
I owned twelve hundred acres of land lying twenty miles 
south of Elyria, which was worth three dollars per acre. 
In order to raise the money then I would have to sell a portion 



A WOMAN WITH A LAME ARM HEALED. 79 

of it for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and I accord- 
ingly did so and paid Joseph the four hundred dollars. 

When Joseph came to Kirtland his fame spread far and 
wide. There was a woman living in the town of Hiram, 
forty miles from Kirtland, who had a crooked arm, which she 
had not been able to use for a long period. She persuaded her 
husband, whose name was Johnson, to take her to Kirtland to 
get her arm healed. 

I saw them as they passed my house on their way. She 
went to Joseph and requested him to heal her. Joseph 
asked her if she believed the Lord was able to make him an 
instrument in healing her arm. She said she believed the 
Lord was able to heal her arm. 

Joseph put her off till the next morning, when he met her 
at Brother Whitney's house. There were eight persons 
present, one a Methodist preacher, and one a doctor. Joseph 
took her by the hand, prayed in silence a moment, pronounced 
her arm whole, in the name of Jesus Christ, and turned and 
left the room. 

The preacher asked her if her arm was whole, and she 
straightened it out and replied: "It is as good as the other. " 
The question was then asked if it would remain whole. Joseph 
hearing this, answered and said: "It is as good as the other, 
and as liable to accident as the other." 

The doctor who witnessed this miracle came to my house the 
next morning and related the circumstance to me. He 
attempted to account for it by his false philosophy, saying that 
Joseph took her by the hand, and seemed to be in prayer, and 
pronounced her arm whole in the name of Jesus Christ, which 
excited her and started perspiration, and that relaxed the 
cords of her arm. 

I subsequently rented my farm and devoted all my time to 
the interest of the Church, holding myself in readiness to take 
Joseph wherever he wished to go. 

On invitation of Father Johnson, of Hiram, Joseph 
removed his family to his home, to translate the New Testa- 
ment. This was in the year 1831. 

At this time Sidney Rigdon was left to preside at Kirtland 
and frequently preached to us. Upon one occasion he said 



80 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

the keys of the kingdom ;vere taken from us. On hearing 
this, many of his hearers wept, and when some one undertook 
to dismiss the meeting by prayer he said praying would do 
them no good, and the meeting broke up in confusion. 

Brother Hyrum came to my house the next morning and 
told me all about it, and said it was false, and that the keys of 
the kingdom were still with us. He wanted my carriage and 
horses to go to the town of Hiram and bring Joseph. The 
word went abroad among the people immediately that Sidney 
was going to expose "Mormonism." 

Joseph came up to Kirtland a few days afterwards and held 
a meeting in a large barn. Nearly all the inhabitants of Kirt- 
land turned out to hear him. The barn was filled with people, 
and others, unable to get inside, stood around the door as far as 
they could hear. 

Joseph arose in our midst and spoke in mighty power, say- 
ing: "I can contend with wicked men and devils — yes with 
angels. No power can pluck those keys from me, except the 
power that gave them to me; that was Peter, James and 
John. But for what Sidney has done, the devil shall handle 
him as one man handles another." 

Thomas B. Marsh's wife went from the meeting and told 
Sidney what Joseph had said, and he replied: "Is it possible 
that I have been so deceived? But if Joseph says so, it 
is so." 

About three weeks after this, Sidney was lying on his bed 
alone. An unseeen power lifted him from his bed, thew him 
across the room, and tossed him from one side of the room to 
the other. The noise being heard in the adjoining room, his 
family went in to see what was the matter, and found him 
going from one side of the room to the other, from the effects 
of which Sidney was laid up for five or six weeks. Thus was 
Joseph's prediction in regard to him verified. 

When Joseph was ready to go back to Hyrum, I took him 
in my carriage. Soon afterwards I had occasion to visit Hyrum 
again. On my way there I was persuaded to stop at the 
Hulet settlement and attend a meeting. When I arrived at 
Father Johnson's the next morning, Joseph and Sidney had 
just finished washing up from being tared and feathered the 



AID IN SETTLING JACKSON COUNTY, MO. SI 

night before. Joseph said to Sidney: "We can now go on 
our mission to Jackson County" (alluding to a commandment 
given them while they were translating, but which they con- 
cluded not to attend to until they had finished that work). 1 
felt to regret very much that I had not been with them the 
evening before, but it was perhaps providential that I was not. 
On a subsequent visit to Hiram, I arrived at Father Johnson's 
just as Joseph and Sidney were coming out of the vision 
alluded to in the Book of Doctrine and Covenants, in which 
mention is made of the three glories. Joseph wore black 
clothes, but at this time seemed to be dressed in an element 
of glorious white, and his face shone as if it were transparent, 
but I did not see the same glory attending Sidney. Joseph 
appeared as strong as a lion, but Sidney seemed as weak as 
water, and Joseph, noticing his condition smiled and said, 
"Brother Sidney is not as used to it as I am." 



CHAPTER II. * 

REMOVAL TO MISSOURI— THE SAINTS ' GUNS PURCHASED FOR 
MOBOCRATS BY A SECTARIAN PREACHER— ATTACK OF 
THE MOB ON THE WHITMER SETTLEMENT — THE WRITER 
SHOT — SUBSEQUENT EXPOSURE AND SUFFERING — CRITI- 
CAL CONDITION — HEALED MIRACULOUSLY— HOW ZION'S 
CAMP WAS PRESERVED ON FISHING RIVER — A VISION. 

IN 1832 I sold my possessions in Ohio, and, we being called 
upon by Joseph to advance monies to purchase the land in 
Jackson County, I paid fifty dollars for that purpose and also 
gave Brother Parley P. Pratt fifty dollars to assist him as a 
pioneer. I was then called on for money to be placed in the 
hands of Brothers Whitney and Gilbert, who were going to 
New York to purchase goods to take up to Jackson County, 
and gave them three hundred dollars. 

I joined in with a company led by Brother Thomas B. 
Marsh, and arrived in Independence, Jackson County, on the 

4 



82 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

10 tli of November. I remained in Independence until spring 
and then removed to the Whitmer settlement, farther west, 
where I built a house, fenced twenty acres of land and put in 
a garden. 

In the fall of 1833, a sectarian preacher by the name of 
M'Coy came to the Whitmer settlement where I was living to 
buy up all the guns he could, representing that he wanted 
them for the Indians. We suspected no trouble, and quite a 
number of us sold our guns to him. The sequel of his action 
was, however, soon apparent to us, for rumors soon reached us 
of mobs assembling and threats being made to drive us from 
the County. 

When the mob first began to gather and threaten us, I was 
selected to go to another County and buy powder and lead. 
The brethren gave me the privilege of choosing a man to go 
with me. I took with me a man by the name of John Poor- 
man. We thought we were good for four of the mob. We 
went to the town of Liberty, Clay County, and purchased the 
ammunition, and returned safely. 

Soon after I returned a mob of about one hundred and fifty 
came upon us in the dead hour of night, tore down a number 
of our houses and whipped and abused several of our brethren. 
I was aroused from my sleep by the noise caused by the falling 
houses, and had barely time to escape to the woods with my 
wife and two children when they reached my house and pro- 
ceeded to break in the door and tear the roof off. I was some 
distance away from where the whipping occurred, but I heard 
the blows of heavy ox goads upon the backs of my brethren 
distinctly. The mob also swore they would tear down our 
grist mill, which was situated at the Coles ville branch, about 
three miles from the settlement, and lest they should really do soj 
and as it was the only means we had of getting our grain ground, 
we were counseled to gather there and defend it. We accord- 
ingly proceeded there the next morning. The following night 
two men came into our camp, pretending they wanted to hire 
some men to work for them. Brother Parley ordered them to 
be taken prisoners, when one of them struck him a glancing 
blow on the head with his gun, inflicting a severe wound. We 
then disarmed them and kept them as prisoners until morn- 



FIGHT WITH THE MOB— WOUNDED. 83 

ing when we gave them back their arms and let them go. 
The next day we heard firing down in the Whitmer settle- 
ment, and seventeen of our brethren volunteered to go down 
and see what it meant. Brother George Beebe was one of 
these volunteers and also one of the men who was whipped the 
night previous.* When these seventeen men arrived at the 
Whitmer settlement, the mob came against them and took 
some prisoners. Brother David Whitmer brought us the news 
of this and said: "Every man go, and every man take a 
man ! ' ' 

We all responded and met the mob in battle, in which I was 
wounded with an ounce ball and two buck shot, all entering 
my body just at the right side of my navel. The mob were 
finally routed, and the brethren chased them a mile away. Several 
others of the brethren were also shot, and one, named Barber, 
was mortally wounded. After the battle was over, some of 
the brethren went to administer to him, but he objected to 
their praying that he might live, and asked them if they could 
not see the angels present. He said the room was full of them, 
and his greatest anxiety was for his friends to see what he saw, 
until he breathed his last, which occurred at three o'clock in 
the morning. 

A young lawyer named Bazill, who came into Independence 
and wanted to make himself conspicuous, joined the mob, and 
swore he would wade in blood up to his chin. 

He was shot with two balls through his head, and never 
spoke. There was another man, whose name I fail to remem- 
ber, that lived on the Big Blue, who made a similar boast. 
He was also taken at his word. His chin was shot off, or so 
badly fractured by a ball that he was forced to have it ampu- 
tated, but lived and recovered, though he was a horrible sight 
afterwards. 

After the battle I took my gun and powder horn and started 
for home. When I got about half way I became faint and 
thirsty. I wanted to stop at Brother Whitmer' s to lay down. 
The house, however, was full of women and children, and 

* Brother Beebe carried the marks of this whipping to his grave, as 

the brethren who laid him out at the time of his death, in December, 1881, at 
Provo, Utah County, can testify. 



84 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

they were so frightened that they objected to my entering, as 
the mob had threatened that wherever they found a wounded 
man they would kill men, women and children. 

I continued on and arrived home, or rather at a house in the 
field that the mob had not torn down, which was near my own 
home. There I found my wife and two children and a number 
of other women who had assembled. I told them I was 
shot and wanted to lay down. 

They got me on the bed, but on thinking of what the mob 
had said, became frightened, and assisted me up stairs. I told 
them, however, that I could not stay there, my pain was so 
great. They then got me down stairs again, and my wife 
went out to see if -she could find any of the brethren. In 
searching for them she got lost in the woods and was gone two 
hours, but learned that all the brethren had gone to the 
Colesville branch, three miles distant, taking all the wounded 
with them save myself. 

The next morning I was taken farther off from the road, 
that I might be concealed from the mob. I bled inwardly 
until my body was filled with blood, and remained in this con- 
dition until the next day at five p. m. I was then examined 
by a surgeon who was in the Black Hawk war, and who said 
that he had seen a great many men wounded, but never saw 
one wounded as I was that ever lived. He pronounced me a 
dead man. 

David Whitmer, however, sent me word that I should live 
and not die, but I could see no possible chance to recover. 
After the surgeon had left me, Brother Newell Knight came 
to see me, and sat down on the side of my bed. He laid his 
right hand on my head, but never spoke. I felt the Spirit 
resting upon me at the crown of my head before his hand 
touched me, and I knew immediately that I was going to be 
healed. It seemed to form like a ring under the skin, and 
followed down my body. When the ring came to the wound, 
another ring formed around the first bullet hole, also the 
second and third. Then a ring formed on each shoulder and 
on each hip, and followed down to the ends of my fingers and toes 
and left me. I immediately arose and discharged three 
quarts of blood or more, with some pieces of my clothes that 



HEALED BY THE POWER OF GOD. 85 

had been driven into my body by the bullets. I then dressed 
myself and went out doors and saw the falling of the stars, 
which so encouraged the Saints and frightened their enemies. 
It was one of the grandest sights I ever beheld. From that time 
not a drop of blood came from me and I never afterwards felt the 
slightest pain or inconvenience from my wounds, except that I 
was somewhat weak from the loss of blood. 

The next day I walked around the field, and the day follow- 
ing I mounted a horse and rode eight miles, and went three 
miles on foot. 

The night of the battle many of the women and children 
ran into the woods. One sister, not being able to take all of 
her children with her, left her little boy four years old in a corn 
shock, where he remained until morning. Some went out on 
the burnt prairie. The mob gathered and swore they would 
go and massacre them. When they got ready to go, the heavens 
were lit up with the falling of stars. This brought to us a 
perfect redemption at that time. 

The night of the battle, the mob took all my household 
furniture, and after my recovery I crossed the river to Clay 
County, leaving behind me a drove of hogs, three cows and all 
of my crop, which I never recovered. 

In Clay County I enjoyed some rest from persecution, and 
had two children born to me, Emma and Philo, Jun. 1 was 
there when Zion's camp came up. I met them on Fishing 
river. There the power of the Lord was manifested by His 
sending a thunder storm, which raised Fishing river ten feet 
higher than it was ever known to rise before. I saw the cloud 
coming up in the west when I was ten miles from Fishing 
river in the middle of the afternoon. As it moved on east- 
wardly it increased in size and in blackness, and when it got 
over the camp it stopped, and in the night the rain and hail 
poured down in torrents, and the lightning flashed from 
the cloud continuously for three hours. 

Just before night, two men came into camp and asked where 
Mr. Smith was. Joseph said, "I am the man. " They then 
advised him to disband his camp, "for," said they, "the mob 
are gathering, and there won't be one of you left to-morrow 
morning ! ' ' 



86 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

Joseph smiled, and said: "I guess not." Seeing that 
Joseph did not believe what they came to tell him, they went 
off vexed. 

We learned afterwards that the hail was so heavy on the 
mob, that they were forced to seek shelter, and the leader 
of them swore he would never go against the "Mormons" 
again. 

Zion's camp was disbanded on Fishing river. The 
leading men of Liberty being desirous for peace, called a meet- 
ing and invited our leading men to meet with them, which 
they did. They told our committee that if they could have 
peace, we should have a County to ourselves, and if we had 
not money enough to buy out the old settlers of Caldwell 
County they would lend us money to buy them out. 

This settled our difficulties at that time. 

In the meantime a conference was held in Liberty, Clay 
County, at which I was ordained a Teacher under the hands of 
David Whitmer. 

We then commenced settling Caldwell County, to which I 
removed, built a house, entered seven hundred and twenty 
acres of land and bought a lot in town. I also entered land 
for many of the brethren, and for this purpose had to go the 
distance of eighty miles, where the land office was located. 

On my return home, when I got to Liberty, midway between 
Lexington and Far West, I concluded I would travel from 
there home by night, as it was very warm during the day. 
The road led through a strip of timber for four miles, and 
after that across a prairie for twenty miles. 

When I had traveled about two-thirds of the way across the 
prairie, riding on horseback, I heard the cooing of the prairie 
hens. I looked northward and saw, apparently with my 
natural vision, a beautiful city, the streets of which ran north 
and south. I also knew there were streets running east and 
west, but could not trace them with my eye for the buildings. 
The walks on each side of the streets were as white as marble, 
and the trees on the outer side of the marble walks had the 
appearance of locust trees in autumn. This city was in view 
for about one hour-and-a-half, as near as I could judge, as I 
traveled along. When I began to descend towards the Crooked 



A VISION. 87 

river the timber through which I passed hid the city from my 
view Every block in this mighty city had sixteen spires, four 
on each corner, each block being built in the form of a hollow 
square, within which I seemed to know that the gardens of 
the inhabitants were situated. The corner buildings on which 
the spires rested were larger and higher than the others, and 
the several blocks were uniformly alike. The beauty and 
grandeur of the scene I cannot describe. While viewing the 
city the buildings appeared to be transparent. I could not 
discern the inmates, but I appeared to understand that they 
could discern whatever passed outside. 

Whether this was a city that has been or is to be I cannot 
tell It extended as far north as Adam-ondi-Ahman, a dis- 
tance of about twenty-eight miles. Whatever is revealed tons 
by the Holy Ghost will never be forgotten. 



CHAPTER III. 

MILITIA ORGANIZED AT FAR WEST— LIBERTY POLE STRUCK 
BY LIGHTNING — GENERAL ATCHISON DEPENDS THE 
PROPHET IN A LAWSUIT— ATCHISON REMOVED PROM 
OFFICE FOR BEING FRIENDLY TO THE SAINTS— FAR 
WEST BESIEGED— BETRAYED FOR A PRICE— ESCAPE TO 
QUINCY. 

PART of Zions camp went back to Kirtland, and also 
Brother Joseph, but in consequence of the mobs and apos- 
tates the Church organization in Kirtland was broken up. Some 
of the apostates left Kirtland and came up to Far West. They 
called meetings and told the people that Joseph was a fallen 
prophet, and they were determined to put David Whitmer 
in his place. Some of the brethren, including the president 
of the branch I lived in, fell in with the views of the apostates. 
I being a Teacher in the branch, took up a labor with them, 
first going to our president and taking with me a Deacon. Our 
president said if he had got to become an enemy to David to 
be a friend to Joseph, he could not be a friend to Joseph. He 



88 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

then called the branch together in order to put me out of 
office as a Teacher, but the branch sustained me. He after- 
wards cited me to appear for trial before Bishop Partridge, 
who gave me two weeks to make satisfaction, and I appealed 
my case to the High Council, who decided there was no cause 
of action. 

Joseph and family soon arrived at Far West. Soon after a 
regiment was organized by W. W. Phelps, Geo. M. Hinkle, 
Lyman Wight and Reed Peck, they having received their 
commissions from the governor. An election of officers was 
called and G. W. Robinson was elected colonel, I lieutenant 
colonel and Seymour Brunson major. 

While celebrating the 4th of July at Far West, there came 
up a thunder shower, and the lightning struck our liberty pole 
and shivered it to pieces. Joseph walked around on the 
splinters and said : "As that pole was splintered, so shall the 
nations of the earth be !" 

When the trouble with the mob commenced, Colonel Robin- 
son took about one-half of the force to Adam-ondi-Ahman to 
defend that place. Joseph, Hyrum and Sidney also went with 
them, leaving me in command at Far West. The detachment 
returned in about four days. 

A few days afterwards Joseph Smith and T took a walk out 
upon the prairie, and in the course of our conversation I sug- 
gested to him to send for General Atchison to defend him in 
the suit then brought against him, as he was in command of 
the third division of the militia of the State of Missouri, and 
was a lawyer and a friend to law. Joseph made no reply, but 
turned back immediately to Far West, and a man was selected, 
with the best horse to be found, to go to Liberty for General 
Atchison. 

The next day General Atchison came to Far West with a 
hundred men and camped a little north of the town. 

On consulting with Joseph Smith, Atchison told him that 
he did not want any one to go with them to his trial, 
which was to take place midway between Far West and 
Adani-ondi-Ahman. Joseph at first hesitated about agreeing 
to this, but Atchison reassured him by saying: "My life for 
yours ! ' ' 



FAR WEST BESIEGED. 89 

When they arrived at the place of trial quite a number of 
the mob had gathered, and on seeing Joseph commenced to 
curse and swear. Atchison, however, checked them by saying : 
' 'Hold on boys, if you fire the first gun there will not be one 
of you left!" 

Joseph was cleared and came away unmolested. Soon after- 
wards the governor, thinking Atchison was too friendly towards 
the Saints, took his command from him and placed General 
Clark in command of the militia. 

Shortly before Far West was besieged, I was taken sick, and 
Colonel Hinkle came into military command under his old 
commission. I gave up my horse, saddle and bridle, and also 
my rifle and sword for Brother Lysander Gee to use in defense 
of our city. 

When General Clark's army came up against Far West, 
Colonel Hinkle betrayed the First Presidency of the Church 
into their hands for seven hundred and fifty dollars. Then 
Joseph and Hyrum, Sidney, and Lyman Wight were taken by 
the mob, who held a court-martial over them and sentenced 
them to be shot the next morning at eight o'clock on the 
public square. Lyman Wight told them to "shoot and be 
damned." Generals Atchison and Doniphan immediately 
rebelled against the decision, and Doniphan said, if men 
were to be murdered in cold blood, he would withdraw his 
troops, which he did. General Atchison then went to Liberty 
and gave a public dinner, and delivered a speech, in which 
he said, "If the governor does not restore my commission 
to me, I will kill him, so help me God!" On hearing 
this the audience became so enthusiastic that they took him 
upon their shoulders and carried him around the public 
square. 

After the surrender of Far West, the mob sent officers to 
get me, but finding that I was sick they went back and so 
reported. They came the second time and went back and 
reported the same. The third time they came they swore 
they would have me if they had to take me on a bed. I lived 
one-and-a-half miles west of the town, and told my folks if 
they could dress me and help me on my horse I would under- 
take to leave for Quincy. A young man named Joel Miles 



90 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

was to go with me to help me off and on my horse. Leaving 
Far West on my left, I arrived at Quincy unmolested. 

I will here digress from my narrative, and state that while I 
was at Far West the battle of Crooked river occurred, in which 
David W. Patten was killed, also the massacre at Haun's Mill. 
Brother Joseph had sent word by Haun, who owned the mill, 
to inform the brethren who were living there to leave and come 
to Far West, but Mr. Haun did not deliver the message. I 
should also have mentioned that while at Far West an election 
was held to elect an assessor. Isaac Higbee, myself and a 
Missourian were the candidates. The brethren held a caucus 
meeting and advised one of us to withdraw our name lest the 
Missourian might gain the election, and proposed that Higbee 
and I cast lots for it. Two tickets were put into a hat for us 
to draw from. There was a large crowd gathered around and 
Joseph Smith among them. He said, ' 'I am going to prophesy 
that Philo will get it, ' ' Sure enough I drew it. 

On my arrival in Quincy, knowing that our people would 
soon be nocking there in great numbers to cross the river, I 
rented the ferry at nine dollars per day for thirty days. I ran 
the boat about ten days and ferried the Saints across on their 
own terms, and still made money at it. Some of the brethren, 
however, on arriving, assumed the right to dictate me, and 
wanted that I should give up the ferry into their hands. The 
man who owned it said if I would give it up he would release 
me from paying that day's rent, which I agreed to do, sup- 
posing it would go into the hands of the brethren. But when 
I gave up the papers to him, he informed the brethren that 
they must pay him full fare or else make boats and ferry 
themselves at half price. This caused a great deal of extra 
and unnecessary expense to our people. 

Before I left Far West, I made arrangements with a man 
to bring my family through to Quincy, for which I paid him 
sixty dollars in gold on their arrival. 

In the spring of 1839, Sidney Bigdon came to me and said 
he knew of a man who owned a farm three miles east of 
Quincy and wanted to rent it to some good man whom he 
could recommend, and that I could have the chance. I gladly 
accepted the offer and rented the farm of two hundred acres. 



HEALED MIRACULOUSLY. 91 



CHAPTER IV. 

SUCCESSFUL FARMING— SICKNESS— PROVIDENTIAL RECOVERY — 
INSPIRED TO PREACH— REMOVAL TO NAUVOO — DEATH OF 
MY WIFE — SECOND MARRIAGE — PREMONITION OF DEATH 
— WARNING FROM THE PROPHET — A DREAM AND ITS 
FULFILLMENT— A PROPHECY AND ITS FULFILLMENT — 
EVIL SPIRITS CAST OUT OF A MAN— JOSEPH SMITH' S 
TRUST IN THE LORD. 

I TOOK four other brethren — Simeon Crandall and three 
of his sons, to help me carry on the farm, and we raised 
a heavy crop, which took us all the fall and winter to market. 

While living upon this farm, I was taken sick. Dr. Williams 
attended me, and after awhile said he could do no more for 
me. I then called for the Elders to administer to me and 
Brother A. J. Stewart, his brother, Levi, and Brother Kill ian 
were called in, but before they arrived Mr. Bobbins, of whom 
I rented the farm, called to see me. He declared that I 
might possibly live till three o'clock, but could not live till 
morning. 

When the Elders administered to me, Brother Killian 
being mouth, I was in bed. He poured the oil on my fore- 
head and I jumped right out of bed and put on my clothes. 
On hearing that Bobbins was going to Quincy in the morning, 
I walked up to his house, three-quarters of a mile, and went 
with him in his carriage to Quincy, remained all day and 
returned with him at night. 

Some of my gentile neighbors, wishing to learn about 
"Mormonism," sent to Quincy for Brother John P. Greene to 
come out and preach to them. When he came, he called at 
my house and wanted to know of me what subject he had 
better treat upon. I told him were I in his place *I should 
speak on the resurrection of the dead, which he did. There 
was a large congregation of members of various denominations 



92 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

present. They were so well pleased with Brother Greene's 
remarks, that they would not let him off until he left another 
appointment to preach. Before the appointed time arrived, 
howevrr, Brother G-reene was taken sick and could not come. 
A large congregation had gathered at the place appointed, 
and only three Elders present — A. J. Stewart, his brother 
Levi, and myself. 

Seeing the situation of things, we consulted together as to 
what should be done, when Brother A. J. Stewart said he 
would undertake to fill Brother Greene's appointment, but that 
if he got baulked we must help him out. I remarked I could 
not preach, if I did it would only be like a sectarian telling 
his experience, but said, "1 will do the singing," which I 
did. 

Brother Stewart arqse, opened the Bible and tried to read, 
but had to spell his words, and broke down and said that some 
of the brethren would take up the subject and go on with it. 
He then called on me. I arose to speak. The Holy Ghost 
came down and enveloped me, and I spoke for over two hours. 
When I found the Spirit leaving me I thought it time to 
close, and told my hearers it was the first time I had spoken 
to a public congregation. 

A Brother Mills who was present, felt so well that he went 
home with me and declared that I had delivered the greatest 
discourse he had ever heard. Said I: "Brother Mills, I 
don't know what I have said. It was not me ; it was the 
Lord!" 

In the spring of 1840, I removed to Nauvoo, then called 
Commerce, which had been appointed by Joseph for the 
gathering place. During the next year my wife died, and left 
me with five children, two daughters and three sons. I con- 
cluded to get my children homes and then travel and preach 
the gospel ; but when I had obtained homes for them I found 
I had not only lost my wife, but also my children, and they 
had not only lost their mother, but also their father and each 
other's society. 

On the 11th of February, 1H41, I married a second wife — a 
Widow Smith of Philadelphia, who was living in the family 
of the Prophet. He performed the ceremony at his house, 



WARNED BY THE PROPHET. 93 

and Sister Emma Smith insisted upon getting up a wedding 
supper for us. It was a splendid affair, and quite a large 
party of our friends were assembled. 

I then rented a house of Hyrum Kimball on the river 
bank for ten dollars per month, and kept a warehouse, and 
also boarders and a bakery. While there in business, I saw in 
vision my grave before me for two weeks ; it mattered not 
whether my eyes were open or shut it was there, and I saw no 
way of escape. One day Brother Joseph came and took 
dinner with us, and as we arose from the table I walked out 
upon the porch and sat down on a bench. Joseph and my 
wife followed me, and he came before me and said: "Philo, 
you must get away from here or you will die, as sure as G-od 
ever spoke by my mouth !" He then turned to my wife and 
said: "And you will hardly escape by the skin of your 
teeth!" 

I immediately stepped into Joseph's carriage and rode with 
him to the south part of town and rented another place, after 
which I settled up my business as fast as I could, and made 
arrangements to remove. Many hearing of Joseph's pre- 
diction about me, said if they had been in my place they 
would have remained where I was and tested the truth of it, 
but I assured them if they had been in my place they would 
have done just as I did. 

After I had settled my business and removed my family, 
we were one day at Joseph's house, when he said to my 
wife: "You didn't believe what I told Philo the other day! 
Now, I will tell you what the Lord told me ; He told me to 
go and tell Philo to come away from there, and if he obeyed 
he should live; if not he should die; and I didn't want to 
see you a widow so soon again. If Philo had remained there 
fourteen days longer, he would have been a corpse. ' ' 

One night Joseph came to my house about twelve o'clock, 
and called me up. I immediately went out to see what was 
wanted. We went across the street to James Allred's and 
called him up, and we three went back to Joseph's house. 
On the way he told us that a flat boat with about thirty men 
had landed just below his house, and that he had overheard 
some of their conversation. Thev had made arrangements to 



94 EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY. 

kidnap him that night and sink him in the river. Brother 
Allred and I went down to the river; but they must have 
seen Joseph's movements as we found nothing of them, 
although we got up some more of the brethren and searched 
up and down the river. 

When Joseph and Emma were preparing to go up the river 
to Dixon, to make a visit with some of her connections, I was 
at their house. The night before they started, I had a dream, 
in which I saw Joseph taken prisoner and guarded by two 
men, who after awhile left Joseph in Nauvoo and went off 
cursing and swearing. The next morning I related my dream 
to Joseph; he listened to me but made no reply. 

While visiting at Dixon he was taken prisoner by a sheriff 
of Missouri and an officer of Illinois, but instead of getting 
him over into Missouri as they had planned to, he was brought 
to Nauvoo. There they left Joseph and went off cursing 
and swearing, just as I had heard them in my dream. 

When, on the advice of the Prophet, I quit my situation 
on the river, my wife felt so bad at the loss of my business 
prospects that she said we might as well die by the sword as 
by famine. I asked her if she thought it would be worse for 
ns temporally to obey the word of the Lord. I prophesied 
that before the year would pass away it would be better for 
us than if we had remained there. 

Wm. Pratt had three city lots upon which he was owing a 
debt of one hundred dollars, and said if I would raise the 
money I might have my choice of the three. I raised the 
money all but three dollars, but was at a loss to know how to 
get the balance. It was a hard time to borrow money. On 
my way to Brother Pratt's, I picked up three dollars in the 
street, Brother Stephen Groddard being with me at the time. 

I then took the three dollar bill which I found to Bishop 
Whitney's and requested him to take the number of it, and 
if an owner came for it to say that I would refund it to him, 
but that I wanted the use of it a few days. I soon sold the 
lot for four hundred dollars, and then asked my wife if my 
prophecy was not fulfilled. 

One of my neighbors, a Brother James Moses, who 
lived across the street from me, was taken sick, and for six 



EVIL SPIRITS CAST OUT. 95 

weeks was not able to speak above his breath. I went occa- 
sionally to see him, and one day while there Brother Bills and 
I were asked by Sister Moses to administer to him, which we 
did. She then asked us what we thought of him, and I 
replied that I had no testimony that he would live or that he 
would die ; but she might as well pour water upon fire to make 
it burn as to give him medicine. This offended her, as she 
had a doctor by the name of G-reen attending him, and we left. 

Soon after this Brother Kimball (one of the Apostles) was 
called on to administer to him, when Sister Moses asked him 
what he thought of her husband's condition. He replied in 
the very words that I had used, but advised them to hold on 
to him. Brother Bills and I happening to call in again to 
see him, we were asked if we would anoint him. I consented 
and stepped up to the bed to put some oil on his forehead, 
but felt impressed to stop and say that he was possessed o f 
evil spirits, and that they would kill him if they were not cast 
out before morning. He then commenced raving, and might 
have been heard across the street. 

The Twelve Apostles were sent for and three of them came, 
Brother W. Richards being one of them, who was mouth in 
prayer, as we all knelt in the room. After prayer, Brother Rich- 
ards went to the bed, and, in the name of Jesus Christ, com- 
manded the evil spirits to leave him and leave the house, 
which they did instantly, and Brother Moses became rational. 
He afterwards told us all about his feelings while the evil 
spirits had afflicted him, and that he was as sore as a boil all 
over from the effects of what he had passed through. 

When Joseph first came to Nauvoo, then called Commerce, 
a Mr. White, living there, proffered to sell him his farm for 
twenty-five hundred dollars, five hundred dollars of the 
amount to be paid down, and the balance one year from that 
time. Joseph and the brethren were talking about this offer 
when some of them said: "We can't buy it, for we lack the 
money. ' ' Joseph took out his purse, and, emptying out its 
contents, offered a half dollar to one of the brethren, which 
he declined accepting, but Joseph urged him to take it, and 
then gave each of the other brethren a similar amount, which 
left him without any. Addressing the brethren, he then 



96 THE END. 

said: "Now you all have money, and I have none; but the 
time will come when 1 will have money and you will have 
none ! ' ' He then said to Bishop Knight : ' 'You go back and 
buy the farm !" 

Brother Knight went to White, but learned from him that 
he had raised the price one hundred dollars, and returned to 
Joseph without closing the bargain. Joseph again sent him 
with positive orders to purchase, but Brother Knight, finding 
that White had raised the price still another hundred dollars, 
again returned without purchasing. For the third time then 
Joseph commanded him to go and buy the farm, and charged 
him not to come back till he had done so. 

When Bishop Knight got back to White, he had raised 
another hundred on the place, making the whole amount 
twenty-eight hundred dollars. However, the bargain was 
closed and the obligations drawn up, but how the money 
was going to be raised neither Brother Knight nor the other 
Brethren could see. The next morning Joseph and sev- 
eral of the brethren went down to Mr. White's to sign the 
agreement and make the first payment on the land. A table 
was brought out with the papers upon it, and Joseph signed 
them, moved back from the table and sat with his head 
down, as if in thought for a moment. Just then a man drove 
up in a carriage and asked if Mr. Smith was there. Joseph 
hearing it, got up and went to the door. The man said, 
"Good morning, Mr. Smith; I am on a speculation to-day. 
I want to buy some land, and thought I would come and see 
you. ' ' Joseph then pointed around where his land lay, but 
the man said : "I can't go with you to-day to see the land. 
Do you want any money this morning?" 

Joseph replied that he would like some, and when the stranger 
asked "How much?" he told him "Five hundred dollars." 

The man walked into the house with Joseph, emptied a 
small sack of gold on the table, and counted out that amount. 
He then handed to Joseph another hundred dollars, saying : 
"Mr. Smith, I make you a present of this!" 

After this transpired, Joseph laughed at the brethren and 
said: "You trusted in money ; but I trusted in Grod. Now I 
have money and you have none." 



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